Food Week Korea 2026 Opens at COEX With 963 Companies From 47 Countries

Food Week Korea 2026 runs Nov. 4–7 at COEX in Seoul, featuring 1,622 booths showcasing food innovations and emerging industry trends.

SEOUL, GYEONGGI-DO, SOUTH KOREA, November 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- - The 21st edition runs under the theme “Innovation Becomes the Norm” with 1,622 booths, looking ahead to the future of the food industry

(Originally Published on November 4, 2026)

Food Week Korea 2026 (the 21st Seoul International Food Industry Exhibition), organized by COEX, led by CEO Jo Sang Hyeon, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, led by Minister Song Miryung, is running from Nov. 4 to Nov. 7 in Halls A, B and C and The Platz at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul.

Food Week Korea covers food and consumption trends at home and abroad and the technologies used in restaurants and institutional catering, and it is the largest comprehensive food exhibition of the second half of the year. This year it has 963 companies from 47 countries and 1,622 booths, giving consumers a chance to discover new foods and tastes and giving the industry a place to find products and secure domestic and international buyers.

The opening ceremony was held on the main stage on the third floor of Hall C on Nov. 4. About 100 people attended, including officials from the ministry, aT and COEX, people from the food and restaurant industry, and members of the press.

In his opening address, Vice Minister Kim Jong-gu said, "K-Food has become a leading cultural content that introduces Korea's culture and everyday life to the world and a core driver of national brand value." He added, "This exhibition will be a practical business platform for outstanding Korean food companies to enter global markets, and a place to see innovation in the future food industry, including food tech. We will continue policy support at the government level and communication with industry so that K-Food strengthens its global standing and Korea's food industry can lead the world market."

Following the opening address, Acting President Changguk Kim of aT delivered the welcome address, stressing that close cooperation between government and the private sector is important to help Korean food companies open sales channels and expand overseas. "We hope this exhibition provides Korean food companies with new global business opportunities, and that it becomes a meaningful occasion to understand the fast-changing market environment of the food and restaurant industry and next year's industry trends, and to look for future growth strategies," he said.

After the ceremony, VIPs toured the exhibition along a route from Hall C through Halls B and A to The Platz.
Seonjae, a Buddhist monk and temple food expert, also gave the keynote lecture, titled "Insights on Sustainability and the Value of Food." The lecture examined sustainable food culture and the trajectory of the food industry in an age of climate crisis, and outlined the essential value of K-Food and the future direction the food industry should take.

Awards for those who contributed to the development of the food and restaurant industry were presented at the same event. The top honor, the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, went to Heesook Cho, CEO of Hansik Gonggan, who contributed to passing down and developing traditional Korean food and training skilled professionals. A total of 31 government honors were presented, including four Industrial Service Medals and seven presidential commendations.

At the Otoki booth, visitors tasted Hangang Ramyeon, released in September, cooked in an instant cooking machine from food tech company Cookinpaper. At Seasonal Pairing House, the exhibits included Paldo's Gukmul Rabokki served with watermelon radish pairing dishes, Samyang Foods' Tangle protein pasta and Nongshim's low-calorie convenience meal Noodle Fit. BATT CORP, which runs Gamjabat, a local brand from Chuncheon founded in 2020, presented potato bread that highlights the shape and character of the potato, and Daegok Co., Ltd., a rice processing company founded in 2011, presented strawberry cream rice cake made with strawberries from Miryang. In Hall A, they looked around the K-Food Pavilion, which presents best practices from Samsung Electronics' smart factory support program, and the booth of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), which introduced products from six companies including jams and spreads, butter and chocolate mousse.

Dr. Chung's Food, which has run Greenbia, Korea's first foods for special medical purposes brand, since 1991, presented two nutrition-care and sugar-care drinks, and Hyundai Green Food presented life-stage care foods, from custom lunch boxes to meals for specific conditions.Each hall follows a different concept. Hall A, Domestic & International, shows the breadth of Korean food, from convenience foods, health functional foods and wellbeing and care foods to regional agricultural, livestock and fishery products and specialties. Food from about 20 countries adds a chance to encounter each country's ingredients and food culture and discover new flavors.

Hall B, Fancy Food & Trends, covers desserts and bakery, snacks, coffee, tea and beverages, wine and liquor, gourmet and specialty foods, and premium ingredients, for a wide range of culinary tastes. Products range from desserts that stress taste and texture to foods that cut the burden of sugar and calories, and the hall reflects a consumption trend in which people weigh both the pleasure of eating and health and choose food to suit their own tastes.

Hall C is Next K-Food & Smart Solutions. In the Next K-Food section, a range of K-Food reaches global tastes, including K-convenience foods, snacks, beverages, sauces, traditional and fermented foods, and alternative and novel foods. The smart solutions section presents automation equipment that raises cooking and operating efficiency at restaurants and institutional catering sites, from automated equipment for coffee extraction and for frying and grilling to serving and guide robots, covering smart food technologies used in food and beverage production, catering, and store service.

At Seasonal Pairing House, the main special pavilion, leading Korean food companies such as Nongshim, Samyang Foods and Paldo team up with local farms to reinterpret familiar products as new menu items. Special pavilions that reflect consumers' varied tastes and food trends also operate, including Jinmi Byeolmi 4-Day Market, Byeolbyeol Texture Taste Shop, World Beer Selection and Gourmet & Specialty Street. THE NEXT: New Product Showcase looks at current product development trends through food and food-tech products launched this year, and K-Convenience Food Showcase presents K-convenience foods that broaden the choice for a single meal.

Programs to help exhibitors achieve real business results have also been strengthened. In listing meetings with buyers for channel expansion in Korea, exhibitors hold one-to-one meetings with MD buyers from retailers to discuss the chances of getting listed and sales strategies by distribution channel.

The K-Food Buyer Invitation Export Consultation (BKF+) is also being held to help promising Korean food companies open overseas markets. A three-party memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand exports of fresh produce such as strawberries is also planned, raising expectations for real export results.

The second-half 2026 K-FOOD+ Overseas Buyer Invitation Export Consultation, Global Big Buyer Zone and Overseas Exhibitor BIZ-Matching arrange one-to-one export meetings with global retailers and major buyers, giving Korean companies with global competitiveness a chance to check demand in local markets as they expand overseas.

"This year's Food Week Korea has been prepared so that visitors can experience first-hand how new foods and technologies are changing consumers' tables and industrial sites," COEX CEO Jo Sang Hyeon said. "I hope it is a place not only to discover the latest food trends but also to see the new possibilities of the food industry that emerge when different companies, products and technologies meet."

Food Week Korea 2026 is a comprehensive international food exhibition organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and COEX. It runs from Wednesday, Nov. 4, to Saturday, Nov. 7, in Halls A, B and C and The Platz at COEX, along with conference rooms. This year, 963 companies from 47 countries and 1,622 booths are taking part, presenting products and technologies in food and beverage, smart home kitchen, restaurant and catering solutions, and food tech and food AI.

Davis Kim
AVING News
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Food Week Korea 2026 Exhibition Booth Tour & On-Site Interviews (Subtitled)