27 Mar 2026

CJ CheilJedang opens fully automated production line for frozen gimbap

The automated system is designed to increase throughput and minimize weight variation between rolls.

aviNews Asia

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South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang has opened its first fully automated production line for frozen gimbap, in a preemptive bid to meet rising global demand for the Korean dish made from bap, vegetables, and cooked meat rolled in gim (dried sheets of seaweed) and served in bite-sized slices.

The facility, located on the company’s campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong province, is the result of an 18-month effort to develop proprietary equipment that automates every stage of manufacturing from loading fillings into rice to slicing and tray-packing finished rolls.

CJ CheilJedang explained that the automated system, built to meet international hygiene standards, is designed to increase throughput and minimize weight variation between rolls.

The line optimizes the texture and bite of each ingredient through precise heat-treatment controls, while rapid-freezing technology maintains quality through distribution and storage.

The investment targets surging demand for the company’s frozen gimbap under its flagship Bibigo brand, launched in 2023 as part of its Korean food globalization strategy. Six gimbap varieties are currently sold across 25 countries.

Cumulative global sales have exceeded 8 million units since launch, with annual revenue growing at roughly 130% on average. CJ CheilJedang said further export drives are underway into the American, European and Australian markets.

“This is a strategic investment to accelerate K-food’s global reach, not merely an expansion of capacity,” a company official said. “We plan to establish Bibigo gimbap as the definitive K-gimbap brand.”

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The automated facility comes amid a broader milestone for CJ CheilJedang, with overseas food sales surpassing domestic revenue for the first time at USD 4 billion of the food unit’s USD 7.65 billion in annual revenue. The divergence was sharpest in the fourth quarter, when overseas food sales hit a record USD 1.07 billion, while domestic revenue fell 3.8%.

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