An extensive K-FOOD event was held. The Ministry of  Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held an event to focus on promoting K-FOOD at COEX in Seoul from November 8th to the 11th. The purpose of the K-FOOD event is to promote the excellence of Korean agricultural products, which continue to garner attention from all over the world owing to the Hallyu (Korean Wave), and to expand into foreign markets. A large-scale export consultation meeting, Buy Korean Food (BKF), was conducted, and through the K-FOOD Promotion Hall and Live Commerce, Korean agricultural products were eagerly promoted. 

#K-FOOD Exhibition, from Strawberries to Ginseng
“Strawberries and Shine muscats are the most popular K-FOOD in Thailand.”
A cooking class was held at the K-FOOD Promotion Hall on the 11th. Auan Rangsit Sirananon, a Thai who runs a YouTube channel, FatMango Family, raised his thumb that strawberries and shine muscats are by far the best in Thailand, a fruit paradise. At the K-FOOD Promotion Hall, various agricultural products, including strawberries and shine muscats pointed out by Mr. Auan, were displayed.
The exhibition consisted of a total of 36 items, including 9 fresh agricultural products, such as paprika, pears, grapes, mushrooms, melons, tangerines, apples, and sweet persimmons, as well as 27 processed agricultural products, including Kimchi, ginseng, processed red ginseng products, such as ramyeon, makgeolli (Korean alcoholic beverage), perilla oil, and rice cookies.
In particular, on the 11th, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in visited and toured the K-FOOD Promotion Hall and heard about success stories of exports from officials of export companies such as Hansung Food, a kimchi exporter.

#BKF (Buy Korea Food)2021
‘The 2021 Overseas Buyer Invited Online Export Consultation Meeting’ (BKF 2021) took place over four days from the 8th to the 11th to support the expansion of agricultural and fishery food exports. 165 Korean exporters and 92 overseas buyers from 23 countries, including Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, the EU, the United States, Canada and Latin America, participated. As it was a non-face-to-face online consultation meeting, it was operated in one-to-one consultations with only interpreters attending a total of 12 booths. The total number of consultations was 325, with a performance worth USD 8.9 million. During this period, overseas buyers showed interest in various items such as rabokki (stir-fried instant noodle) snacks, as well as high-quality fresh agricultural products such as strawberries and shine muscats.
Also, a business agreement was promoted to expedite exports of Korean agricultural products. Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) and Parkson, Asia’s leading department store chain signed an online MOU on the 10th. Through this MOU, both parties resolved to establish a cooperative system to expand the Korean food market in the market.

#Live Commerce with Influencers
Live commerce for K-FOOD attracted attention. It was held for two days on the 8th and 10th, and began on the 8th with Tmall Live, China’s leading online commerce, with a Wanghong, who has 520,000 followers. Among the products of Korea Pavilion on Tmall, about 20 items, including makgeolli and shine muscats, which have gained sensational popularity in China, were selected and introduced. Resultingly, it achieved a great promotional effect for Korean food produdcts, with 1.05 million views of the products during the live streaming.
Following such successful campaigns, Shopee, Southeast Asia’s largest online shopping mall, also conducted live commerce on the 10th to market to Southeast Asian consumers. Six products, including Munchy Ball, a vegan snack from Jainn, Honey Butter Almond from Murgerbon, and Mandarin Orange Snack from Frunack, were promoted.