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Kaya, curry, coffee: Asean companies show off foods at trade fair

Published: 14 Nov. 2025, 16:59 Updated: 16 Nov. 2025, 13:00

SEO JI-EUN
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Asean Ambassadors to Korea and ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Jae-shin pose for a group photo at the ‘ASEAN Trade Fair 2025’ on Nov. 14, at Hall 6, KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi.[ASEAN-KOREA CENTRE]

Over 70 food and beverage companies from Southeast Asia took part in the ASEAN Trade Fair 2025, which kicked off Friday and will take place until Sunday at Kintex Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi, capping off a weeklong series of events hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Centre to celebrate ASEAN Week.

This year’s trade fair featured companies from all 10 Asean member states, presenting their signature products — ranging from kaya jam and robusta coffee to tropical chocolates and dried fruits — to Korean consumers and buyers. The event included national pavilions, business-to-business matching zones and an ASEAN Market & Event Zone.

“The F&B sector stands out as one of the most dynamic areas for future growth [among the Asean region],” said Kim Jae-shin, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, during their opening remarks. “I sincerely hope this event will serve as a stepping stone for new collaborations between Asean and Korea, and inspire Korean consumers to discover the rich diversity and flavors of Asean cuisine.”

The ASEAN Trade Fair was launched in 2014 to strengthen economic ties between Korea and Southeast Asia, and to help Asean small- and medium-sized enterprises gain a foothold in the Korean market.

While previous editions highlighted sectors like furniture, gaming and fisheries, this year’s focus on the food industry reflects the sector’s rising significance.

ASEAN Ambassadors to Korea and the Centre's Secretary General Kim Jae-shin tour the booths at the ‘ASEAN Trade Fair 2025’ on Nov. 14, at Hall 6, KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi. [ASEAN-KOREA CENTRE]

Food accounts for roughly 17 percent of Asean’s total GDP, according to the ASEAN-Korea Centre. The region’s F&B market, currently valued at $670 billion, is projected to grow to around $900 billion by 2028 — a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7 percent.

“Through business-to-business and business-to-consumer activities, this Trade Fair will help these companies to build business connections and enter the Korean market, and also profile Asean’s F&B offerings to Korean consumers,” Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Wong Kai Jiun, who also chairs the ASEAN Committee in Seoul, said in congratulatory remarks. “All in all, this is a positive development in Asean-ROK [Republic of Korea] relations that we should all welcome.”

This year's ASEAN Week, a celebration of Southeast Asia-Korea cooperation across multiple sectors including culture, tourism, business and media, included a commemorative ceremony in Jeju to mark the completion of 10 Asean-themed benches along the Jeju Olle Trail, each representing one of the member states. The Centre also invited Southeast Asian journalists to Korea for a reporting program on regional cooperation and exchange.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]