Andong is called the 'Capital of Korean Moral Culture' full of Confucian traditions and Yangban (aristocracy) cultures. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ of England visited Andong in 1999 because it was selected at the time as the most typical town of Korea. The Queen visited Hahoe Village to view 'Hahoe Pyolshingut Mask Dance,' stayed at Yangjindang (an ancient traditional Korean house) for a moment, and visited Bongjeongsa, a Buddhist temple. The Queen celebrated her 73rd birthday during her visit to Korea, and Hahoe Village prepared traditional Korean dishes for the Queen at Damyeonjae Hall. Andong Salted Mackerel was put on the table for her birthday party, which served as an opportunity for its cultural commercialization.

Marking the 10th anniversary of its establishment, Andong Salted Mackerel was honored with grand prize at the 1st Marine Product Brand Awards hosted by the then Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (the present Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) in 2009 when it recorded 100 times growth in sales after the year of its establishment, which means that Andong Salted Mackerel, a brand fish, sold wrapped for the first time in Korea became a national fish both in name and reality. In September of the same year, CNN aired its special program ‘Eye on South Korea’ focusing on the salted mackerels of Korea emerging as a new state of long life, in which Andong Salted Mackerel, a basic dish, attracted attention from people around the world, serving as an important subject for the globalization of Korean food.

Now Andong Salted Mackerel has become a role model for small and medium enterprises both from home and from overseas as it was selected as an APEC global best brand. Andong Salted Mackerel was also presented by world-famous experts on factors for its successful advancement to the world market as a local brand at the 33rd APEC Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand in December 2011. Officers from small and medium enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region agreed to introduce the case of success of Andong Salted Mackerel as a global brand into their own countries, produce small and medium enterprise brands against major brands, advance to the world market, and create more success cases.