CJ Foods announces the expansion of its flagship K-food products to foreign U.S. military bases, beginning with commissaries in Guam
CJ Foods announced on February 19 that it has begun selling its flagship K-food products at U.S. military bases, marking the start of its full-scale expansion into military installations worldwide.
A selection of 14 products across four main categories, including plant-based mandu, tteokbokki, sticky rice and cupbahn (rice bowls), is now available at major commissaries within the U.S. military base in Guam. The lineup features three types of plant-based bibigo mandu (Original, Kimchi and Japchae), a variety of bibigo tteokbokki (including Sweet & Spicy, Hot & Spicy and Cheese, available in both cup and pouch packaging), three types of sticky rice (White, Black and Budding Brown) and two types of cupbahn (Seaweed Soup and Creamy Yellow Curry). Given that many military bases have limited cooking facilities and are home to a large population of single-household soldiers, demand for convenient, ready-to-eat meals is particularly high.
To introduce these new offerings, CJ Foods hosted a three-day launch event from February 14 to 16 at Guam commissaries, where service members and their families had the opportunity to sample the products. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as, “I thought it was meat mandu, not plant-based!” and “The tteokbokki has a bouncy texture and a uniquely flavorful sauce; it’s delicious.” Sticky white rice was also well received as a side dish to accompany meat, while cupbahn was seen as a convenient meal replacement option.
This positive reception builds on previous success at U.S. military bases in Pyeongtaek and Osan, South Korea, where CJ Foods began sales in April 2024. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response from U.S. service members to the three varieties of plant-based bibigo mandu, CJ Foods expanded its offerings in August, adding six types of bibigo tteokbokki. To date, over 20,000 packs of both plant-based mandu and tteokbokki have been sold, with bibigo’s Plant-based Japchae Mandu and Tteokbokki Cup & Pouch Cheese emerging as top sellers.
With an estimated 2.5 million U.S. military personnel globally, including reserves, the processed food market for U.S. military bases (commissaries and military food services) is valued at approximately 5 trillion KRW. Building on its entry into the Guam military base, CJ Foods aims to expand further to U.S. military bases in Japan, Hawaii and Alaska. The company also plans to broaden its product lineup to include frozen rice dishes (frozen gimbap, rice balls and fried rice), K-street food items (gimmari and bung-o-pang) and vegan ham and chicken.
Park Chung-il, Head of CJ Foods’ B2B Business, stated, “The entry of CJ Foods flagship products into the Guam military base will serve as a significant stepping-stone for the expansion of K-food across U.S. military installations worldwide.” He added, “As a leader in K-food, we will continue our efforts to solidify CJ Foods’ presence in the global military food market.”
