Choco Pie

Choco Pie
Korean name
Hangul	초코파이
Hanja	n/a
Revised Romanization	Choko Pai
McCune–Reischauer	Ch‘ok‘o P‘ai

Choco Pie is a South Korean snack food manufactured by Orion Confectionery which consists of two small round layers of cake with marshmallow filling, with chocolate covering, similar to a Moon Pie. Orion supplies the South Korean military with Choco Pies, which are given out to soldiers after their first week of basic training.

Export

In recent years Orion has used the Choco Pie to gain a foothold in foreign markets, and Orion now controls a two-thirds share of the Chinese snack market, with a third of Orion's revenue now coming from outside Korea. Around 12.1 billion Choco Pies have been sold all over the world.^{[clarification needed][1]}

Orion seeks a share in four major markets - South Korea, Russia, Vietnam and China. The snack has also been particularly successful in India, Vietnam and Taiwan. Additionally, it has become a favorite snack of North Korean workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and has come to symbolize capitalism.^[2] South Korean news reports that Choco Pies can fetch as much as US$9.50 on the North Korean black market.^[3]

In South Korea, Choco Pie is associated with Jeong (情), which indicates closeness among people in Korea. Its advertisements emphasise the relationship between family members and friends, and its jingle is widely known.^[4]

See also

• Moon pie
• Wagon Wheels

References

1. ^ "(Kor)" (in Korean). Chocopie.co.kr. http://www.chocopie.co.kr/global/overview.asp. Retrieved 2009-12-30. 
2. ^ Donald Kirk (2009-05-21). "Pyongyang chokes on sweet capitalism". Asia Times Online. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KE21Dg01.html. Retrieved 2009-12-30. 
3. ^ "Choco Pie Rules Black Market in N.Korea". Chosun Ilbo. 2010-01-12. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/01/12/2010011200624.html. Retrieved 2010-01-15. 
4. ^ "초코파이". Chocopie.co.kr. http://www.chocopie.co.kr/info/about.asp. Retrieved 2009-12-30. 

External links

• Forbes article on the Choco Pie and Orion's growth