[Mydaily] 260514 Dongwon Tuna is riding BTS Jin’s popularity to emerge as a global leader in K-food.
📈U.S. exports have surged by 30%, while exports to Japan have increased by 50%.
📈Chairman Kim Nam-jung is pushing forward an ambitious “10 trillion K-food” strategy.
📈BTS Jin’s “Super Tuna” Sparks Global Growth in the U.S. and Japan
Last year, Dongwon Tuna’s exports to the U.S. rose by 30% year-on-year, while exports to Japan jumped by 50%. What was once a side dish on Korean dining tables has now grown into a global protein food.
The company aims to achieve 10 trillion won in global food sales by 2030.
🐟The turning point for Dongwon Tuna’s global expansion came in 2025 with Jin.
Dongwon F&B selected BTS Jin as its brand model, inspired by his 2021 solo track “Super Tuna.”
Released in 2021, the song surpassed 100 million YouTube views and captured global fandom attention. It also gained popularity for being inspired by Jin’s real-life love of tuna.
A commercial featuring Jin performing a choreography adapted from the song has surpassed 33 million cumulative views. The “BTS Jin Edition,” which included collectible stickers, also fueled strong global fan demand.
Last month, a Dongwon Tuna pop-up store held in Harakado, Tokyo attracted 2,400 visitors within just one hour of reservations opening, marking a major success.
🐟A 43-Year National Brand Turning Into a Global Protein Brand
At the center of Dongwon F&B’s global expansion strategy is Dongwon Tuna.
Since its launch in 1982, Dongwon Tuna has sold over 7.6 billion cans over 43 years, holding more than 80% of the domestic canned tuna market. It is a national food brand generating over 500 billion won in annual sales.
The origin of Dongwon Tuna traces back to founder Chairman Kim Jae-chul’s personal experience. Starting as a cadet on a deep-sea fishing vessel at age 23, he eventually became captain and founded Dongwon Industries in 1969 with 10 million won he had saved. After visiting StarKist’s factory in the U.S. in 1981, he asked, “Why doesn’t Korea have canned tuna?” and launched Dongwon Tuna the following year.
At the time of launch, canned tuna was unfamiliar and relatively expensive at 1,000 won, positioned as a premium, developed-country food product.
In 1984, Dongwon pioneered canned tuna gift sets for Chuseok, selling over 300,000 sets. By the 1988 Seoul Olympics era, rising incomes helped establish Dongwon Tuna as a premium holiday gift.
It later became a staple ingredient in Korean households, widely used in dishes such as kimchi stew, fried rice, rice balls, and sandwiches.
The Dongwon Group consolidated its food businesses—including Dongwon F&B, Dongwon Home Food, U.S.-based StarKist (acquired in 2008), and Senegal processing plant Scasa—into a Global Food Division (GFD). It also unified its scattered R&D units into a Global R&D Center.
Using StarKist’s extensive North American distribution network, the group aims to expand exports of Korean food products such as Dongwon Tuna, spicy tuna, seaweed, tteokbokki, and dumplings.
Chairman Kim stated earlier this year that the company will “go beyond simple exports, enhance value through localized products and R&D, and accelerate global business by strengthening collaboration among overseas subsidiaries.”
#JinxDongwonTuna #동원참치 #JIN @BTS_twt @dongwonmall2506 @dwtuna_official