In an era when meat consumption has overtaken rice in Korea, the global meat supply chain has become inseparable from the cost of everyday groceries. Youngmi Youn, Chair of Highland Foods Group, built a global meat supply network linking overseas producers to the Korean market, turning the company into Korea’s leading importer of meat. At the negotiating table, she made a practice of reading what her counterparts needed before stating her own — a philosophy that forged lasting global partnerships. She also expanded the company’s processing and logistics infrastructure, successfully achieving vertical integration across its business. The principle she has consistently returned to — back to basics — has also played a key role in the company’s remarkable growth. Now, Youn aims to position the company as a national leader in food security, strengthening Korea’s supply chain resilience.
Youngmi Youn founded Highland Foods Group in 1999 and grew it into a mid-sized enterprise surpassing 1 trillion won in annual revenue within 23 years. [Photo by Choi Ki-woong]
Is rice still Korea’s staple? The data suggests otherwise. The position once held by rice has long since been ceded to meat. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), per capita meat consumption surpassed rice consumption for the first time in 2022, and the gap continues to widen. This year, meat consumption is projected at 61.8 kilograms per person, compared with 51.5 kilograms for rice.
In this age of meat, the supply picture is far from reassuring. Korea’s domestic supply is not fully self-sufficient. Beef production accounts for only around 40 percent of domestic consumption (as of 2025 estimates), while pork, despite a higher self-sufficiency rate of 73 percent, still requires roughly 551,400 metric tons in annual imports. Korea’s meat market thus relies heavily on overseas producers, including the United States, Australia, Brazil, and Spain.
Much of the meat Korean consumers encounter at supermarkets has passed through a vast global supply chain. From livestock raised on overseas farms to primary processing by large-scale meat packers, refrigerated shipping across oceans, complex customs procedures, and domestic distribution networks, each step adds cost. Logistics expenses, tariffs, and exchange rate fluctuations are ultimately reflected in consumer prices. Any disruption in the supply chain quickly translates into higher prices for consumers.
The key issue is that these risks can materialize at any time. Geopolitical conflicts, freight rate volatility, currency swings, and climate shocks in major producing regions are largely beyond Korea’s control. For an economy as exposed to external shocks as Korea’s, securing a reliable global supply chain has become a core competitive advantage in the meat industry — one that affects not only corporate efficiency but also household economic stability.
Highland Foods Group, with a roughly 13 percent share of the imported meat market — the highest in Korea — demonstrates what supply stability looks like in practice. Founded in 1999, the company is more than a simple intermediary importing meat into Korea. It works directly with global producers to eliminate intermediary margins and uses its own logistics and processing infrastructure to absorb external shocks. Each year, it imports around 150,000 metric tons of meat from more than 20 countries, supplying about 1,700 clients, including major hypermarkets, distributors, restaurants, franchise chains, and online platforms. Last year’s consolidated revenue is estimated at around 1.2 trillion won.
The architect behind it all is Youngmi Youn, 57, founder and chair of the company. At the company’s headquarters in Songpa, Seoul, on March 12, she introduced herself as “a warrior in the global market.” For Youn, the company’s growth has never been just about expanding distribution networks or increasing revenue. Instead, she sees her role as a shock absorber within the global meat supply chain, buffering the Korean market from external volatility.
“Securing a stable supply chain is a form of social protection,” she said. “It allows people to access quality protein at reasonable prices. At the same time, it is part of a global competition tied to food security. Building that system robustly — that is how we protect consumer prices.”
Highland Foods Group’s Domestic Logistics and Manufacturing Hub.
Completing Vertical Integration and Expanding into Re-exports
The “war” Youn refers to is not fought with weapons, but through relentless negotiation in the global meat supply chain — a market that structurally favors sellers. Livestock products cannot be mass-produced on demand, and buyers from multiple countries compete for the same supply.
In this environment, Youn does not begin by stating her demands. In a room full of buyers, saying you want to buy carries little weight. Instead, she starts with questions: What do you want to sell right now? How is the market? What challenges are you facing?
Rather than leading with price, she focuses on understanding the other party. “In business, negotiation is about listening,” she says. “You need to listen before you speak.” The real conversation begins only after that.
When a supplier mentions a cut they are struggling to sell or a logistical issue they cannot resolve, Youn looks for solutions within the Korean market. She either creates new demand or identifies inefficiencies in the distribution chain that can be removed to generate margin for both sides. “Each cut of beef sells best in different markets,” she explains. “If you match what suppliers need to sell with what Korean consumers want, both sides can make money.”
A representative example is the processing method for shabu-shabu beef. Previously, large bulk cuts were imported in 10-kilogram units and had to undergo thawing, refreezing, saw-cutting, and repackaging in Korea, resulting in significant labor and logistics costs. Youn proposed that overseas packers slice the meat under chilled conditions and package it simply before shipment. As a result, producers were able to secure higher prices, while Korean buyers reduced processing costs.
This approach naturally built trust. “When I started, I had almost no capital,” she says. “But our partners continued to support us, allowing the business to continue. By connecting suppliers’ challenges with solutions in the Korean market, we were able to grow together.” Today, Highland Foods Group maintains long-term relationships with major global packers.
Youn attributes her negotiation style to her personality. “I think my attention to detail and my experience cooking at home helped me understand this business,” she says.
Youn’s management journey dates back to the early 1990s. With a strong desire to work in global markets, she chose to study international trade, a field that was still uncommon for women at the time. In 1993, she joined a trading company run by a senior colleague and gained hands-on experience. “I traveled overseas once a month to develop clients,” she recalls. “I found the work incredibly engaging.”
Language was one of the biggest barriers. At the time, her English skills were limited, so she began each day at a language institute at 6 a.m. As trade with China expanded, she also took private Chinese lessons to improve communication.
A turning point came during the 1997 IMF crisis in Korea. As exchange rates surged, the company decided to scale back its import business to manage risk. However, Youn had already confirmed the growth potential of the Korean market in the field. A Canadian partner, which viewed Korea as a promising market, offered her the position of Korea branch manager, which became the starting point for her independence.
Still, she found the structure limiting. She believed that a system dependent on layered approvals could not keep up with the speed of global trade, where decisions are often made within hours. She requested independent operating authority from her partner, who trusted her enough to lend $200,000. With this capital, Highland Foods Group was established in 1999 as an independent company rather than an agent or branch.
During the first six months, the company focused on brokerage trade, connecting overseas exporters with Korean buyers. However, the environment was challenging. Exchange rate volatility following the financial crisis led many domestic clients to delay or cancel payments. Concluding that commission-based brokerage could not sufficiently absorb such risks, Youn quickly shifted to a direct import and distribution model.
“In the early days, we didn’t have enough capital, so overseas producers would ship products first, and we would settle payments after selling them in Korea,” she says. “Interestingly, about 10 years ago, Highland Foods Group grew larger than our Canadian partner.”
This growth was driven by a field-oriented management approach. Youn personally visited production sites around the world, inspecting farms and slaughterhouses and building partnerships firsthand rather than relying solely on documents. In the early years, limited awareness of the Korean market meant overseas producers often preferred working through large trading companies. However, as trust in Highland Foods Group grew, the share of direct transactions steadily increased. As a result, the company surpassed 400 billion won in annual revenue in 2018 and exceeded 500 billion won the following year.
Highland Foods Group posted record consolidated revenue of approximately 1.2 trillion won last year, according to the company. [Photo by Choi Ki-woong]
Record Growth Driven by Fundamentals
Highland Foods Group did not stop there. “Around that time, we began to expand our business in earnest toward a structure that encompasses the entire meat value chain,” said Youngmi Youn, chair of the company.
“Business is like a living organism. It keeps evolving. Companies that adapt to change survive, while those that cling to past practices eventually disappear. I often compare business to a bicycle wheel — it has to keep turning to move forward. The moment it stops, it’s over. That’s why I have continuously sought new opportunities and expanded the business.”
Highland Foods Group has expanded its structure from a simple import-and-wholesale company into a manufacturing-based integrated platform. Its former core model — importing meat and selling it wholesale domestically — began to show limitations as market transparency improved. More domestic processors started bypassing intermediaries and dealing directly with overseas producers. In response, Youn vertically integrated the business by establishing processing plants, logistics centers, and an online platform. Along the way, subsidiaries were added, including Wellborn Trading in 2009, which handles raw meat wholesale and liquor imports, and Highland Innovation in 2015, which focuses on processed meat manufacturing and R&D.
The Highland Busan Center, completed in 2023, represents the culmination of this strategy. Located in the Busan–Jinhae Free Economic Zone near Busan New Port, the facility operates an integrated system that handles importing, customs clearance, storage, processing, and distribution in one place. Under this one-stop model, containers arriving from overseas are cleared, stored, processed according to consumer demand, and shipped out without leaving the complex. With this, Highland Foods Group has built a manufacturing-driven structure spanning imports, production, logistics, and exports.
Exterior view of the Highland Busan Center. [Photo by Highland Foods Group]
Looking ahead, the Busan Center is expected to serve as a global food production hub. The company is exploring plans to export K-food products processed at the facility to the U.K. and European markets, while also positioning it as a production base for overseas food companies seeking to enter Asia. Its goal is to establish a new “Made in Korea” model — importing raw meat, applying its processing capabilities, and re-exporting finished products. “We are currently in discussions with a U.S. sausage company on building an Asian production base,” Youn said, “and we are also exploring collaboration with a major Japanese food company.”
The Icheon Metro Center, scheduled for completion in 2028, is expected to serve as a key supply hub for the Seoul metropolitan area. With a total floor area of approximately 130,000 square meters, the facility is designed to store more than 80,000 pallets of frozen goods. In the event of supply disruptions caused by climate change or geopolitical risks, it is expected to function as a buffer stabilizing consumer prices in the capital region. “Infrastructure does not lie,” Youn said. “Only with strong physical assets can a company maintain pricing power in the global market.”
Of course, the company’s growth has not always been smooth. The most serious crisis came in 2002. While pregnant with her first child, Youn found it difficult to manage operations as closely as before. During that time, internal issues began to surface. Some employees engaged in misconduct and work disruptions, bringing operations to a halt and disrupting payment collection. The situation deteriorated rapidly, and the company was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy as bank loans fell into delinquency.
“The meat distribution business cannot be run by systems alone,” she said. “Success depends on on-the-ground expertise, relationships, and detailed management. I had always overseen sourcing and sales myself, but when my pregnancy made it difficult to stay on-site, a gap in management emerged. That gap led directly to irregular transactions and losses. That was when I fully realized how critical hands-on management is.”
Youn had to handle the situation largely on her own. In the final stages of pregnancy, she worked to stabilize the company, at times unable to hold back tears. “I remember crying in the office shortly before giving birth,” she recalled.
The experience became a turning point in her management philosophy. Youn had not originally intended to run a family business. She had deliberately avoided family involvement to maintain objectivity and employee morale. However, after witnessing the situation, her husband set aside his own career and joined the company. Since then, the company has been restructured so that family members directly oversee key operations. Her husband took charge of domestic sales, while the owner family assumed responsibility for yield management at processing facilities, strengthening operational control.
Following this restructuring, the company entered a period of sustained growth. However, success was followed by new challenges. The year 2022 marked both a milestone and a turning point. The company surpassed 1 trillion won in revenue for the first time since its founding, securing a leading position in the industry. At the same time, unexpected aftereffects emerged. “We felt the company had reached a stable trajectory and briefly let our guard down,” Youn said. “As the organization grew, a belief took hold that the system would run itself.”
That assumption soon showed up in performance indicators. Profit margins began to fluctuate in 2023, and by 2024, revenue declined while some subsidiaries reported operating losses. “It was the first loss since the company was founded,” Youn said. “In 27 years of management, I had never been this surprised.” She identified the cause internally, concluding that the company’s core working principles and values had weakened as it grew rapidly. She compared the situation to Coca-Cola.
“Even Coca-Cola cannot maintain its leading position if it stops advertising. The same applies to a company’s vision and principles. If they are not continuously reinforced, they lose their strength within the organization.”
Youn declared 2025 the “year of reset.” She believed that as an organization grows, it must return to fundamentals. She began reinforcing the company’s five core working principles, known as the “Hi Five,” across the organization. The goal was not to work longer hours, but to rebuild fundamentals by improving the quality and focus of work. Among these principles, she placed particular emphasis on “doing work the right way.”
“The era when spending more time automatically led to better results is over,” she said. “We must focus not on the quantity of work, but on its quality. Outcomes depend on where people direct their attention.”
At the same time, Youn committed to becoming “a leader who sets direction, not just a boss who gives orders.” She encouraged not only executives but all employees to take on the role of leaders. “Global business involves time differences and constant variables, so each individual must think and act like an independent manager,” she said. “Employees need to take responsibility as if they are CEOs in their own roles.”
The impact of these changes appeared faster than expected. According to the company, Highland Foods Group recorded its highest-ever consolidated revenue last year. “In the end, what revives a company is not grand strategies, but fundamentals,” Youn said.
Scene from the “Korea–Germany Business Forum and K-Chimaek Festival,” held at the ANUGA trade fair in Cologne, Germany, on October 7, 2025. [Photo by Korea Importers Association]
Toward Korea's JBS
Last year, Youngmi Youn, chair of Highland Foods Group, took on a broader role in Korea’s supply chain landscape. In February, she became the first woman in the 55-year history of the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) to serve as its chair. She put forward the slogan, “Exports are national strength; imports are people’s livelihood,” reflecting her view that a stable supply of key commodities, including meat, underpins both price stability and national competitiveness.
“Two days ago I met with the Chilean ambassador, and yesterday with the Georgian ambassador. I meet ambassadors from various countries about three times a week. When foreign companies try to enter the Korean market, they often don’t know where to begin. That’s where KOIMA comes in.”
Positioned at the intersection of overseas companies and Korean businesses, institutions, and government agencies, KOIMA plays a role similar to that of a private-sector diplomat. Depending on the situation, Youn connects stakeholders with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, or relevant industry bodies, effectively helping design pathways for market entry.
“The Korean market has a complex structure that is not easy for newcomers to understand,” Youn said. “We provide direction, helping them find their way.”
KOIMA also works to reduce information gaps between overseas producers and the Korean market. Bridging this gap is central to its role. “Officials from major exporting countries often turn to KOIMA to better understand Korea’s complex distribution structure and quarantine regulations,” Youn said. “There is growing word-of-mouth among foreign companies that KOIMA is where they can resolve difficulties when entering Korea.”
“Ultimately, supply chains begin with relationships. A stable structure is built through accumulated understanding of people and markets. This is an area where governments may not be able to intervene fully. Filling these gaps through private-sector networks is also one way to strengthen supply chain resilience.”
Youn’s ambitions extend further. She points to JBS, the Brazil-based global meat company, as a benchmark. “JBS has built a highly resilient global protein supply chain,” she said. “No matter how much the global environment fluctuates, its supply system remains stable.” She added, “Korea also needs a company that can take responsibility for the national food supply chain.” This is the long-term vision of Highland Foods Group.
To achieve this, the company plans to accelerate human-cente
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