As economic growth has occurred in Asia over the last several decades, the demand for soybeans, soybean meal and soyoil have also increased. Over the last 50 years, the cultivation of soybeans in the U.S., Brazil, and Argentina increased dramatically. Consequently, these three countries have become the major soybean producers and exporters in the world. The growth in soybean production in those countries over the years, however, has been insufficient to meet the demand. With the opening of China’s market to soybean and soybean products trade in 1995/96 and the accession of China to that trade agreement in 2001, Asian soybean imports began to increase dramatically. Korea opened its soyoil market in 1991 and it brought about a great change not only in soyoil market but in soymeal and soybean market as well. As imports of soyoil expanded, the increased consumption was covered by imports and this caused burden cost to soybean manufacturers leading to decrease in soybean purchase. Since that time, consumption of Korean soybeans has become stagnant and due to this reason, production of soymeal, which is byproduct of soybeans, also decreased replacing increased domestic consumption with imported soymeal. This implies that market openness of soyoil, has brought negative effect in soybean and soymeal market. As a result, decrease in soybean consumption led to decrease in self-sufficiency of soybean products.

• 이상현 | Sang Hyeon Lee Corresponding author
• 안수정 | Soojung Ahn