NH Nonghyup Trade and Seoul Milk Target Vietnam’s Dairy Market
NH Nonghyup Trade, Seoul Milk Cooperative and CHATUDE GLOBAL are expanding sales of Korean dairy products in Vietnam. The partners will focus on UHT milk, localized marketing and distribution through hypermarkets, convenience stores and baby-product retailers.
Three partners coordinate in Ho Chi Minh City
NH Nonghyup Trade and Seoul Milk Cooperative are stepping up their entry into Vietnam’s dairy market through a partnership with local distribution and marketing company CHATUDE GLOBAL. According to news33.net, senior executives from the three organizations met in Ho Chi Minh City on the 30th of last month to review local consumption trends and coordinate the rollout of Seoul Milk’s recently introduced UHT milk.
The Korean delegation included NH Nonghyup Trade chief executive Lee Jae-ho and Seoul Milk Cooperative chairman Moon Jin-seop. Their discussions focused on positioning the product, building early brand recognition and adapting marketing to Vietnamese consumers. The partners did not disclose investment, shipment, sales or capacity targets, leaving the initial scale of the expansion unspecified.
UHT milk selected for local conditions
The companies see UHT milk as a practical product for Vietnam’s hot and humid climate and its existing cold-chain conditions. The format is easier to store and transport than fresh refrigerated milk while retaining its quality and nutritional characteristics for longer, news33.net reported. Rising incomes and stronger consumer attention to health and hygiene were also identified as factors changing dairy demand.
The strategy extends beyond importing and placing a single product. NH Nonghyup Trade, Seoul Milk and CHATUDE GLOBAL agreed to explore new product development based on changing local preferences. They also plan to broaden access through hypermarkets, convenience stores and specialist baby-product shops, combining the Korean companies’ manufacturing and trade capabilities with the Vietnamese partner’s local distribution and marketing network.
Retail checks will shape the next phase
After the meeting, executives visited a hypermarket and a baby-products retailer in central Ho Chi Minh City. They examined the shelf placement, price positioning and visibility of Seoul Milk’s UHT products and collected feedback from shoppers and store personnel. The exercise was intended to test consumer recognition and assess the products’ competitiveness in an operating retail environment.
Lee Jae-ho said the store visits indicated a favorable response from Vietnamese consumers and local distributors. He added that NH Nonghyup Trade would use its trade infrastructure to support Seoul Milk’s development as a premium brand in Vietnam. The partners intend to use the findings to refine their Southeast Asian marketing and supply approach. For South Korea’s dairy sector, where lower birth rates and stagnant domestic milk consumption are constraining growth, the initiative offers another route to demand. Its commercial significance, however, will depend on repeat purchases, competitive pricing and the partners’ ability to extend distribution beyond the initial Ho Chi Minh City channels.
