As the popularity of vegan products in South Korea grows, The Vegan Society CEO, Steve Hamon, is set to visit the country. The trip will give the society an opportunity to meet with Vegan Society Trademark holders and attend events, with Steve speaking at VeganFesta, the largest vegan exhibition in the country.
Research shows that South Korea is a fast-growing vegan market, with South Korean consumers interested in trying plant-based food alternatives and vegan cosmetics. In 2021, Rakuten found that 87% of South Korean consumers have tried plant milk, 27% have tried other vegan dairy alternatives and 30% have tried plant-based meats.
Jungsu Jo, a consultant from the Vegan Society of Korea, agrees, explaining that “the Korean vegan market is growing at a tremendous rate and the growth of the vegan beauty sector has been explosive.” Jungsu believes that this growth comes as more Korean consumers are beginning to think that "value-based consumption" is important - the belief that you can change the world by consuming or not consuming something.
This interest in vegan foods and cosmetics is reflected in the prevalence of the Vegan Society’s Trademark, who work with over 250 brands from South Korea, registering almost 3000 products. The Vegan Society is based in the UK, but it’s rigorous Trademark standards are recognised globally with over 65,000 products registered across 79 countries.
Third-party vegan certification is important to shoppers when trying to establish whether an item is free from animal products and animal testing. The Trademark gives consumers confidence in a brand’s products and allows them to make informed purchasing decisions.
A spokesperson for Aromatica, a South Korean Vegan Trademarked beauty brand, explains:
“The vegan certification system of the Vegan Trademark helps consumers easily check and purchase vegan products by giving credibility to their vegan status. As The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark is an international mark, it works as a reliable indicator of the safety of our products and ingredients to consumers around the world.”
The Vegan Society’s visit to the country and attendance at VeganFesta will be a valuable chance to communicate the benefits of the Trademark to South Korean brands, in addition to connecting with existing Trademark holders. Steve Hamon, CEO of The Vegan Society, says:
“I’m excited about our visit to South Korea, it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the brands we’ve been working with face-to-face and see first-hand how the vegan market is growing. We know that veganism is a global movement and working with international agents, such as our consultants at the Vegan Society of Korea, allows us to be at the forefront of making veganism more accessible and accepted worldwide.”
For more information on the Vegan Trademark, please visit The Vegan Society | The Vegan Trademark. To keep up with The Vegan Society’s trip to South Korea, you can follow the Trademark on LinkedIn.
