About 12 years ago, South Korean food company Pulmuone established a small office in China. 12 years later, it now has two factories in China with an annual tofu production capacity of up to 60 million packs.

"Since entering China in 2010, Pulmuone has established companies in Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing. Our main products are fresh and healthy frozen food. China offers a huge market to Korean food companies. Due to their proximity, the import and export environment between China and South Korea is better than that of other countries. Good labor resources also make China attractive as a global production base," Kim Gwang-soo, the head of the southern sales department of Pulmuone, told CGTN. 

Kim said the Chinese market has changed a lot, and companies must adapt to the changing situation. Taking the food sector as an example, consumers today prefer healthy and convenient meals. Moreover, sales channels are also changing since China's e-commerce, and online shopping platforms have developed rapidly.

"We see China as an important market for increasing investments. After the second factory was completed, we added tofu and pasta equipment. Hopefully, it will help the company further develop in the Chinese market," Kim added.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, China and South Korea have enjoyed robust trade and economic cooperation.

Since 1992, the bilateral trade volume has increased over 50-fold, to more than $360 billion in 2021.

China is South Korea's largest trading partner, while South Korea is China's third largest trading partner.

Lee Jun-yong, the chairman of the Korean chamber of commerce in Shanghai, came to China over 30 years ago, before the two countries established diplomatic ties. He has witnessed the changes over the years.

"We started in 1992, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK. In the initial stage, enterprises investing in China focused on light industries and manufacturing, but investment has now evolved into high-tech cooperation. After the readjustment of global supply chains, more attention should be paid to the exchanges between high-tech enterprises in South Korea and China because that will be the trend in the future," Lee said.

Thirty years on, China and South Korea trade still bears fruitful results. From simple exchanges to high-level cooperation, Lee said there is still much to be expected from these two neighboring countries.