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Korean companies sign MOUs valued at $27 million during major K-food export fair in Seoul

Published: 24 Apr. 2026, 12:34

Foreign visitors take a look at Korean food products at a duty free store in central Seoul on July 18, 2025. [YONHAP]

Korean companies have signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth a combined $27 million with foreign buyers for exports of foodstuffs and agricultural goods at the country's biggest K-food export promotion fair last week, the Agriculture Ministry said Friday.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held the Buy Korean Food Plus event in Seoul from Wednesday to Thursday last week, bringing together 143 buyers from 45 countries worldwide.

Participants included buyers from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, all of whom used the gathering to explore business opportunities with some 280 Korean export firms.

The prospective deals reached at the two-day fair, which has been held every year since 2009, set new value records, the ministry said.

The MOUs include deals to export kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish typically made from cabbage, to the United States, and halal-certified food products to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, the ministry added.

The Agriculture Ministry has set a goal to export a record $16 billion worth of foodstuff and agriculture-related products this year on the back of the global popularity of Korean cuisine. Last year, country exports from the farm and food sector reached an all-time high of $13.62 billion.

Yonhap