Vietnam promotes Fine Robusta coffee in South Korea

On Friday afternoon, Le Duc Huy, chairman of Simexco DakLak, vice-chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association and vice-chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, said Choi Joo Ho, chairman of the Korea Coffee Association, represented the Korean side in signing the MoU.

Under the MoU, the two sides will step up exchanges of technology, experts, personnel and equipment for coffee industry training, while working together on product research and development and the application of technical advances.

The parties will also develop training programs to improve professional skills, facilitate personnel exchanges and connect coffee organizations and businesses in the two countries, contributing to the development of the coffee industries and coffee culture in Vietnam and South Korea.

South Korea imported around 200,000 metric tons of coffee in 2025, with Vietnam supplying about 36,000 metric tons, or 18 percent of total imports.

Vietnam is currently South Korea’s second-largest coffee supplier, behind Brazil. At this rate, roughly one in every five or six cups of coffee consumed in South Korea is made from coffee originating in Vietnam.

However, the origin, quality and value of Vietnamese coffee remain less recognized by South Korean consumers than its market share would suggest. This presents room for Vietnamese coffee, particularly Fine Robusta, to gain a stronger foothold in the market.

Huy said Vietnam had grown from producing only around 100,000 metric tons of coffee a year more than three decades ago to becoming the world’s second-largest coffee producer and the world’s leading Robusta producer, with annual output of nearly 1.9 million metric tons.

Alongside increasing production, Vietnam’s coffee industry is placing greater emphasis on quality, including the development of Fine Robusta through improved farming and processing techniques, farmer training, quality standards and coffee evaluation competitions.

Vietnamese Fine Robusta is now exported to more than 20 markets worldwide.

Adding value to Robusta

According to Huy, one of the requirements for developing Fine Robusta is to change how Vietnamese Robusta is perceived in international markets.

“Fine Robusta is not a lower-priced alternative to Arabica. It is a distinct product with its own flavor, character and commercial potential,” Huy said.

A Fine Robusta sample from Simexco DakLak once scored 87.83 out of 100, featuring prominent fruity notes, pleasant sweetness, a balanced structure, distinctive aroma and a complex finish.

Fine Robusta could open up a range of applications in the South Korean market, from espresso and blends to milk-based beverages, ready-to-drink coffee and new products tailored to younger consumers’ preferences.

The cooperation between coffee organizations in the two countries therefore goes beyond trade, focusing also on technology, human resources training, product research and development, and business connections.

The initiatives are expected to give Vietnamese coffee more opportunities to increase its value, strengthen brand recognition and participate more deeply in the South Korean coffee value chain.