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[Kim Jiwan, Edaily Reporter] BL Pharmtech announced on March 19th that they have signed a business agreement with the French retail giant E.Leclerc through Mr. Min (Mr.min) to expand the K-Food market in Europe. The event took place at E.Leclerc‘s headquarters and was attended by E.Leclerc’s Chairman David Thabault, BL Pharmtech‘s CEO Park Young-chul, the founder of Mr. Min from Anyone France Min Jang-sik, and the CEO of Anyone F&C Bong Jong-bok.

A representative from BL Pharmtech stated, “All the representatives gathered at the ceremony shared the view that Mr. Min could grow into a leading brand representing K-Food in the European market in the future.” He added, “With this agreement, BL Pharmtech plans to explore and introduce a variety of potential Korean food and beverages, not just ramen, into the global market, with E.Leclerc’s distribution network expected to be a great asset.”

Previously, on March 17th, BL Pharmtech agreed to supply Mr. Min ramen to 700 E.Leclerc stores. Chairman Park Young-chul expressed his expectations, saying, “The business agreement signed today is another great achievement following the recent 3 billion won export deal and entry into 700 stores. Through this agreement, BL Pharmtech and E.Leclerc look forward to evolving into a solid partnership that will lead the globalization of K-Food.” He also mentioned plans to aggressively expand K-Food‘s presence in Europe in the latter half of the year by collaborating with domestic and foreign corporations to introduce frozen foods, seaweed, and soju to the European market.

(From left) Min Jang-sik, Representative of Anyone France, David Thabault, Chairman of E.Leclerc, Park Young-chul, Chairman of BL Pharmtech, Bong Jong-bok, Representative of Anyone F&C. (Provided by BL Pharmtech)

Chairman Park highlighted E.Leclerc’s prominence, noting that while Carrefour leads in the total number of stores without distinguishing by size, E.Leclerc holds a dominant position with 700 large stores leading in terms of sales impact. Indeed, in terms of large store counts across Europe, Carrefour ranks second with 300 stores, followed by Intermarche with 176, and Auchan with 130.

Meanwhile, Mister Min is a K-Food brand being sold through major retail groups across Europe. It has successfully localized its products to cater to local tastes in countries including France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, and Eastern Europe, offering a product line that includes ramen, udon, snacks, sauces, and beverages tailored to local consumer preferences.