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Imports of olive oil into South Korea increased by almost 50 percent in the 2013/14 crop year, with Spain being the top supplier accounting for 72 percent of imports, followed by Italy at 24 percent and Turkey at 3 percent. Despite the small size of the Korean market, the growth in imports positions it among other promising markets such as China, Japan, and Brazil where exporters are focusing their marketing efforts.

Imports of olive oil into South Korea climbed by nearly 50 percent during the 2013/14 crop year, according to the latest figures released by the International Olive Council (IOC).
IOC REPORT: October 2014 Market Newsletter
While the Korean olive oil market, at less than 18,000 tons, remains relatively small, the growth in imports places it among other promising markets — like China, Japan and Brazil — where exporters are focusing more of their marketing resources.
Spain has gained the upper hand in Korea, according to the IOC’s October newsletter, accounting for 72 percent of imports, while Italy supplied 24 percent, and Turkey 3 percent. Virgin and extra virgin olive oil accounted for 76 percent of the imports, while 17 percent was olive pomace oil and 7 percent was the olive oil grade.
The IOC also pointed to a dramatic 62 percent drop in olive oil imported to the EU for the first ten months of the season (October 2013 – July 2014) which would be explained by Spain’s record-breaking output of 1,780,200 tons.