Presidential couple visits K-culture expo, encourages Korean businesses and K-pop enthusiasts in Mexico
A total of 120 Korean companies and organizations participated in this year's K-Expo Mexico to lay the groundwork for entering the Latin American market.
Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung pose for a commemorative photo with “Random Play Dance” event participants at the 2026 K-Expo Mexico at the World Trade Center in Mexico City on Sept. 25 during their state visit to Mexico.JOINT PRESS CORPS
MEXICO CITY — President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung visited an expo in Mexico on Friday to hear about Korean companies’ progress in entering the Latin American market.
The presidential couple visited the 2026 K-Expo Mexico at the World Trade Center in Mexico City, where they toured booths of K-culture companies — ranging from K-beauty and food to technology, automobiles and home appliances — that wish to enter the Latin American market, offering words of encouragement, Seong Ghi-hong, the presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said in a press briefing.
A total of 120 Korean companies and organizations participated in the exhibition to lay the groundwork for entering the local market.
Mexico is the largest importer of K-beauty and K-food products in Central and South America and is the world’s 14th-largest market for cultural content.
Kang Kyung-sung, the CEO and president of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, told Lee that the event was organized to support small- and medium-sized enterprises entering the Latin American market.
“Yesterday alone, 34 contracts worth $12.5 million were signed, and we expect even greater results as the event continues today,” he said.
When Kang mentioned the high level of interest in K-beauty and K-content in Mexico, Lee reportedly asked about the country’s reception of K-fashion.
At Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific’s booth, the Korean president personally tried out an AI-powered skin analysis device.
“The response to K-beauty has been excellent, and we aim to grow more than tenfold within five years,” Amorepacific CEO Kim Seung-hwan said.
President Lee Jae Myung tries out an AI skin diagnosis device at the Amorepacific booth at the 2026 K-Expo Mexico at the World Trade Center in Mexico City on Sept. 25.JOINT PRESS CORPS
However, he shared his concerns about Mexico’s recent tariff hikes on imports from countries without an FTA. Lee then asked him how much tariffs had been raised.
At the booth for Nongshim, Korea’s leading instant noodle maker, CEO Cho Yong-chul shared that Mexican consumers have a high tolerance for spicy flavors.
The presidential couple tasted instant noodles cooked on site, and the first lady remarked that they were delicious. Cho also noted that Nongshim has released stir-fried noodles specifically for overseas markets.
President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, left, eat cup noodles while listening to an explanation from Nongshim CEO Cho Yong-chul, right, at a booth showcasing instant noodles at the 2026 K-Expo Mexico at the World Trade Center in Mexico City on Sept. 25.JOINT PRESS CORPS
At the LG H&H booth, Lee listened to an explanation of scalp care products from the household and health care company. The presidential couple joked that they didn’t seem to need hair loss products yet.
Presidential spokesperson Seong added that the two earlier stopped at the exhibit’s “Random Play Dance" event and interacted with K-pop fans.
The event involved around 150 participants, including dance teams and K-pop fans. When the president and the first lady pressed the music playback button, songs including “Just Do It” (2018) and “Fighting (Feat. Lee Young Ji)” (2023) by Seventeen subunit BSS and BTS’s “Dynamite” (2020) were played in succession, with participants dancing the choreography for each song.
“I hope that you become dancers and singers who bring happiness to others through K-pop,” Lee told the performers.
“I heard that BTS was amazed by your passionate cheers and energy when they visited Mexico in May,” Kim Hea Kyung said, referring to the megaband’s “Arirang” world tour.
President Lee Jae Myung, second from left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, left, pose for photos with locals while visiting Zona Rosa, an area with a high concentration of Korean-owned shops in Mexico City, on Sept. 25.JOINT PRESS CORPS
On Friday afternoon, Lee and the first lady visited Zona Rosa in Mexico City, an area known as “Little Seoul,” where they ate tacos at a Mexican restaurant, Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a statement.
Korean expatriates called out, “Welcome,” to the presidential couple, who greeted them and shook their hands.
Local Mexican citizens also warmly welcomed the presidential couple, saying, “Annyeonghaseyo,” or “Hello” in Korean, and “Welcome to Mexico” in English. The president and first lady reciprocated with a friendly “Hola” and posed for photos.
The Korean commercial district in Zona Rosa began to grow after Korean immigrants settled there during the 1990s. Today, the area is home to a variety of Korean-owned businesses, including restaurants, grocery stores, side-dish shops, hair salons and cafes.
