LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen is wrapping up the first leg of his current trade mission to South Korea and Japan. He, and other members of the delegation, are traveling to Tokyo, the second leg of their trip. The group arrived in Seoul on Tuesday, Sept. 5, kicking off a full slate of meetings and events that will continue through Tuesday, Sept. 12.
The delegation is promoting Nebraska agriculture and discussing opportunities to enhance collaboration and partnerships in East Asia to grow Nebraska’s clean hydrogen sector. The mission includes representatives from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), state commodity organizations, ag businesses, and energy companies.
“South Korea has a vibrant economy and it’s a market that we want to continue to tap into,” said Gov. Pillen. “The people we have met are very interested in what we do agriculturally, especially in terms of how we raise our animals, the types of grain that we use and how we care for our environment. We are more than happy to come to South Korea and share our efforts around sustainability and what we are doing to expand clean energy.”
The first full day of activity began Wednesday in Seoul, South Korea, with a morning briefing at the U.S. embassy. Gov. Pillen and the trade delegation then met with leaders of SK Inc., a global Fortune 500 company with $50+ billion of investments in U.S. businesses. They thanked leaders at SK for investing in Monolith Materials’ Hallam, a Nebraska facility, which produces clean hydrogen. The Nebraska team also promoted the Mid-Continent Clean Hydrogen Hub that the state established earlier this year in partnership with Iowa and Missouri.
That day’s activities concluded with a beef promotional dinner in the city of Incheon. Nebraska ranchers talked about the sustainable, bio-secure practices they use to produce high-quality beef. South Korea is Nebraska’s top international market for beef, purchasing $584 million in 2022. Nebraska supplies more beef to South Korea than any other U.S. state.
“One of the interesting things we learned is that appetites are changing in South Korea. People are increasing their intake of meat protein, and are eating less rice,” said Mark McHargue, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. “That opens a world of opportunity, in terms of what we can export. People here say Nebraska beef is the best they have ever had. This trip allows us to build on relationships already in place and create new ones that will help drive sales.”
On Thursday, the Nebraska delegation engaged in discussions with KOTRA, the Republic of Korea’s trade promotion agency. Members of the group also visited Homeplus, a Korean discount retail chain. It is the second largest retailer in South Korea with 135 stores. During the visit, Gov. Pillen saw how Nebraska beef is marketed to consumers.
“We raise the best product in the world, and we can brag about that,” said Gov. Pillen. “Consumers purchase Nebraska beef because of the quality and consistency.”
“It is remarkable as a producer, as a cattle feeder, to talk to South Koreans about the product they are buying and for them to realize that you are the person from Nebraska who supplied it,” said Jeff Rudolph, board member for the Nebraska Beef Council. “That is a really meaningful interaction, one that we normally wouldn’t get to experience without being here in person.”
Later Thursday, Gov. Pillen joined Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton and representatives from the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Monolith Materials and Tallgrass Energy in a roundtable with Korean leaders to discuss partnership opportunities around hydrogen energy development. This year, Nebraska enacted the Nuclear and Hydrogen Development Act, which calls for the creation of a work group overseen by DED to determine workforce and training needs as well as distribution of college grants for the creation of necessary courses.
“Advances in the energy industry will benefit Nebraska agriculture as we today, through our practices, feed the world and save the planet at the same time,” Gov. Pillen told attendees at the roundtable. “Nebraska is uniquely positioned to provide less carbon-intensive fertilizers and increase food security regionally, domestically and globally.”
Members of the delegation will be equally busy upon arriving in Tokyo, Japan. Meetings will continue to focus on mutual ag sustainability measures, opportunities for trade and manufacturing, as well as participation in the Midwest Japan Association Conference, hosted by Ambassador Rahm Emanuel.