Trending in Korea these days,... is the phrase "small but certain happiness," meaning those fleeting moments when we feel content in our daily life.
And those slices of happiness can be found on the shelves of the country's convenience stores,... in the form of imported sugary treats.
Hong Yoo reports. Sales of sweets and other food products from overseas are surging at Korea's convenience stores and department stores.
Last month, one Korean convenience store chain, called CU, imported 200-thousand 'Mochi rolls', a Japanese dessert.
The product sold out in just 10 days.
Other big hits include Japanese udon noodles... and Taiwanese cookies.
South Korea’s largest convenience store chains say that they import foreign goods as a powerful way to differentiate themselves from their market rivals.
Even local department stores are trying to bring more foreign dessert brands into their stores.
Experts say South Koreans are traveling abroad a lot these days, and they come back home looking for certain products they saw on their travels.
"I tried this dessert once in Japan and I wanted to have it again in Korea. So I came and bought it."
"I had this dessert when I went to Guam. I liked it so much that I came to get it here in the department store."
But it's also about price.
Food has been getting more expensive, and foreign imports are seen as being just as good as the more expensive snacks you see in bakeries and cafes.
They want something that's small but sure to make them happy -- in other words, the most psychological satisfaction they can get for their money.
"The consumers do not want to spend their money on something that is expensive and luxurious. Instead, they try to find happiness in small things that can be easily bought in a cheap price.
So considering that foreign goods satisfy these needs of consumers, foreign food products are good items that go along this new consumer trend.
People who are looking for their own individual happiness have created this trends."
According to Kim, the big hit now -- snacks and desserts -- could change, and change soon.
But the trend itself, of reasonably priced consumer imports, is expected to continue.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
