A high-growth emerging market with a population of 100 million presents prime opportunities fueled by a strong affinity for Hallyu, cross-border summit diplomacy, and shifting consumer patterns.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIR) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) formed their first collaborative alliance alongside KOTRA and aT, mobilizing 107 major retail networks and consumer goods enterprises.
Over 20,000 Vietnamese visitors were captivated by the B2B exhibition and consultation sessions, B2C showcases, and live performances/talk concerts featuring official honorary ambassadors.
Aligning with Vietnam's rising trend toward safe, premium consumption, the event generated USD 33.26 million in performance through 89 signed contracts and MOUs with approximately 280 buying firms.

Amid the booming enthusiasm for Hallyu and Korean products worldwide, a unified "K-Team" was fully deployed to accelerate the evolving trend of K-consumer goods within Vietnam—the absolute heart of the Korean Wave.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIR, Minister Kim Jung-gwan) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, CEO Kang Kyung-sung), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA, Minister Song Mi-ryeong) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT, CEO Hong Moon-pyo), hosted a massive Hallyu Expo from July 2 for a three-day run at the National Convention Center (NCC) in Hanoi. The comprehensive marketing event successfully integrated K-culture with consumer merchandise.

▶ Prime Launchpad in High-Growth, Experience-Driven Vietnam: The Evolution of K-Culture & Consumer Goods

Vietnam, where the expo took place, stands as South Korea's third-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export destination for consumer goods. Boasting a population of 100 million with a remarkably youthful median age of 33, Vietnam represents a textbook high-growth emerging market, logging an impressive GDP growth rate in the 7–8 percent range over the past two years. Its awareness of Hallyu is remarkably deep, with 99.4 percent of surveyed citizens stating they have consumer experience with Korean products or services.*
* According to the 「2026 Overseas Hallyu Status Survey」 (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange), Vietnam ranked 2nd among 30 surveyed nations, with a 99.4 percent purchase experience rate in low-involvement consumer sectors like food and cosmetics.

Concurrently, K-consumer goods are demonstrating stellar performance across global markets. South Korea's annual export values for food (’21), cosmetics (’24), cultural content (’25), and pharmaceuticals (’25) consecutively shattered the USD 10 billion milestone. This upward trajectory continues robustly into this year, with exports of the top 5 consumer goods* from January to May topping USD 20.4 billion—an 1.9 percent increase year-on-year. (In 2025, exports of the top 5 consumer goods grew 8% year-on-year to hit USD 45.6 billion).
* Top 5 Consumer Goods: Agri-fishery foods, cosmetics, household items, fashion apparel, and pharmaceuticals.

Marking its 27th edition, the Hallyu Expo was co-organized for the first time through a joint initiative between MOTIR and KOTRA on the industrial side, alongside MAFRA and aT on the agricultural side. KOTRA oversaw the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle sectors, while aT spearheaded the food pavilion.

This mega-scale marketing initiative united over 380 companies—including 107 domestic South Korean firms and roughly 280 buyers from Vietnam and neighboring nations—while drawing an immense crowd of over 20,000 visitors. The South Korean cohort featured prominent consumer exporters alongside major domestic retail chains and partners, including Hyundai Home Shopping, Shinsegae, E-Mart, Musinsa, and Daily Habit. Vietnamese retail giants like K-Market and Sammi Shop also participated directly.

▶ Blended Marketing via B2B Export Consultations, B2C Showcases, and Hallyu Concerts Captivates Buyers and Consumers Alike

During the B2B export consultation sessions held for two days from July 2, the 107 K-consumer goods enterprises conducted a staggering 1,512 business consultations with roughly 280 buyers hailing from Vietnam and nearby countries. Spurred by intense purchasing interest, the event yielded over USD 33.26 million in on-site contracts and MOUs—marking an all-time high for any single Hallyu Expo.

The KOTRA Hanoi Trade Center remarked, "A surging public interest in safe, premium consumption—triggered by a series of counterfeit food scandals in Vietnam last year—is acting as a powerful catalyst for the demand for authentic K-consumer goods. The Hallyu Expo offers an highly efficient gateway for consumer product companies to expand their market footprint at low costs by collaborating with public institutions, Hallyu ambassadors, and major retail channels."

The B2C exhibition and promotional pavilions, running parallel over the two days, were similarly packed with local buyers and consumers. Interactive experiential marketing programs held at individual booths and the main stage injected vibrant energy throughout the event. Notably, large retail networks prepping for their Vietnamese market debuts, such as Musinsa and Shinsegae, operated standalone showcase booths alongside prominent local distributors Sammi Shop and K-Market, offering hands-on experiences and promotional events for the K-products entering their ecosystems.

The excitement reached its peak with spectacular opening performances, fan meetups, and talk concerts headlined by the expo’s official honorary ambassadors: K-pop groups WINNER and FIFTY FIFTY. The crowds responded enthusiastically as the artists introduced and explained consumer items they personally enjoy. The ambassadors further added a meaningful touch to the event by donating all proceeds from the sale of autographed eco-bags to the Vietnam Red Cross.

Kang Kyung-sung, CEO of KOTRA, stated, "Because the sale of consumer goods is fundamentally anchored in trust, K-products are successfully evolving into premium lifestyle choices fused with culture across ASEAN markets like Vietnam, where a preference for safe consumption is rapidly expanding." He emphasized, "Capitalizing on Vietnam's robust growth potential and the momentum of reciprocal summit diplomacy between our nations, we will exert our utmost efforts to cultivate a virtuous export structure where K-culture and consumer products continuously propel one another forward."



Source：KOTRA (2026.07.06.)