According to Yonhap News,
On December 14th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that they held the “Kuala Lumpur Hallyu Expo” on December 11-13 at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The expo combined the Korean Wave (Hallyu) with export marketing and was attended by around 300 domestic and overseas companies. Over the three days, approximately 20,000 visitors attended, drawing strong local interest.
ASEAN is the third-largest export market for Korea’s four major consumer goods—cosmetics, food, household goods, and fashion apparel—after China and the United States, and is also a region with a high level of receptiveness to Hallyu. With the goal of creating a virtuous cycle between Hallyu and consumer goods, MOTIR and KOTRA organized the event in this key market.
During the two-day B2B export consultation sessions, 102 Korean companies and more than 200 ASEAN buyers participated, conducting a total of 1,500 business meetings. As a result, export contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth USD 8.57 million were concluded on-site.
The expo also operated an “FTA Utilization Support Desk” and a “K-Halal Pavilion,” strengthening the foundation for entering Muslim markets.
At the B2C showcase held on December 13th, K-beauty and food experience events and star-linked promotions were carried out in cooperation with local distribution channels, including Shopee, the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, drawing enthusiastic responses from local consumers.
Ambassadors for the event—actress Moon Ga-young and K-pop groups xikers and NEXZ—further energized the expo by holding Hallyu-linked events such as performances and talk concerts.
The immersive Hallyu experience zone was also highly popular, attracting many local visitors to photo zones, K-pop idol costume and makeup experiences, hanbok experiences, makeup shows, and cooking shows.
President Kang Kyung-sung of KOTRA said, “ASEAN is both the heartland of Hallyu and the center of the Global South,” adding, “We will strengthen a virtuous cycle between culture and industry by expanding exports of K-consumer goods and content through the use of Hallyu.”
changyong@yna.co.kr
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Source: Yonhap News (December 14, 2025)
** This article was translated from Korean.