Korea is a major consumer of coffee and has consistently grown its imports of green coffee each year; see the table below. Only two years saw a decline in green coffee imports. NKG appears to be ready to tap into this lucrative market. It is one of the strongest markets in Asia, in part because drinking specialty coffee has an associated status that makes is aspirational.
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Consumption in the country has also been consistently growing, peaking at around 2.5m bags in 2020 – according to numbers from the ICO. The resilience of the market during a global downturn will be tested, but NKG obviously feels optimistic about the medium to long-term prospects.
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Press Release
NKG Korea recently launched its operations. As the first Korean-based company of green coffee service group Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), NKG Korea will be offering all types of coffees from commercial mainstream to specialty qualities.
Hamburg, Germany; September 27, 2022 NKG Korea is a local business with focus on client communication, import and distribution of coffee. “Korea is a very exciting market because of the continuous growth in consumption and diverse landscape of customers, who expect pro-active communication and innovation. This is perfectly aligned with a company like ours that can offer a broad range of selected coffees and services”, says Changsu Woo, COO of NKG Korea. “I am excited by the opportunity to introduce the wide range of origins and specially prepared coffees from NKG sister companies to the Korean coffee market.”
The new office is located in the Mapo-gu district in the western part of Seoul with easy access to both Incheon and Gimpo airport. This location in a rather industrial and younger generation area is close to some of the company’s main and other potential new customers. “A cupping room is an essential element for marketing events and client interaction. Therefore, we will set this up, combined with meeting and collaboration facilities”, Changsu Woo explains.
There are plans to partner with local warehouse operators and to establish a country-wide distribution to serve all types of clients across Korea in the future. “We are taking a long-term approach and we are building up a range of products and services that our customers can rely on”, says Changsu Woo.
