SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - For the first time since official export records began in 1990, Japan has imported South Korean rice for commercial sale, as a deepening domestic rice shortage pushes prices to record highs.
According to South Korean agricultural officials, two metric tons of rice from Haenam County in South Jeolla Province cleared Japanese customs on April 8 and began selling in Korean supermarkets across Tokyo on April 10.
The rice, marketed under the brand “Ttangkkeut Haetsal” and produced by the Okcheon Agricultural Cooperative, was harvested in 2024 and milled in March of this year.
A 10-kilogram bag is priced at 9,000 yen, including tax and shipping — roughly 10 percent cheaper than Japanese rice, despite Japan’s 341 yen-per-kilogram import tariff.
The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation said that while South Korean rice was previously shipped to Japan as part of disaster relief efforts following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, this marks the first time it has been imported for retail sale.
The initial two-ton shipment sold out within 10 days, prompting Korean suppliers to schedule an additional 10-ton shipment for May.
Japan’s rice crisis has been driven by a combination of poor harvests, stockpiling triggered by recent earthquakes, and increased consumption from a rebound in foreign tourism.
In response, the Ishiba administration released 210,000 tons from national reserves last month and plans to release another 100,000 tons by the end of April. But prices have continued to climb.
Japanese media have also pointed to monopolistic behavior among major distributors as a contributing factor to the crisis.
“The high domestic prices have made Korean rice competitive, even with import duties,” said a South Korean government official. Officials at the Okcheon cooperative said Japanese retailers are expressing growing interest in expanding Korean imports if price pressures persist.
reporter
Candice Kim
candicekim1121@ajupress.com
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