(Shanghai = Yonhap News) Reporter Han Sang-gyun = First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, who visited China with President Lee Jae-myung last January, applies cosmetics to a participant's face at a K-Beauty event held at the Fosun Foundation (Fosun Art Center) in Shanghai. January 7, 2026. [Joint Press Corps. Resale & DB Prohibited] xyz@yna.co.kr

According to Yonhap News,

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Dong-gyu = As the restoration of bilateral ties continues following the South Korea-China summit earlier this year, Korean consumer goods companies in sectors such as food, cosmetics, and fashion are expanding their presence in the Chinese market.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources(MOTIR) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on the 19th that they held the "Korea-China Consumer Goods Cooperation Plaza" in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, to support the entry of domestic consumer goods companies into China.

The event was attended by about 50 Korean consumer goods companies and over 100 Chinese distribution networks and buyers. Program highlights included export consultations, live commerce sessions, and a performance signing ceremony.

Through these programs, a total of 20 export contracts worth USD 20 million were signed, primarily in the food, cosmetics, and content sectors. Additionally, one investment contract was signed for a Korean food company to supply products to a Chinese distribution firm.

Notably, as a follow-up to the Korea-China business event held in Beijing in January, export contracts worth over USD 9 million were realized, reflecting the expanding atmosphere of economic cooperation following the bilateral summit.

At the event, promotional activities for K-consumer goods were conducted via Chinese live commerce platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Na Seong-hwa, Director General for Trade Policy at MOTIR, met with local Chinese distribution networks and Korean platform companies operating in China to request further cooperation.

'Hongqi,' the No. 1 convenience store chain in the Sichuan region, signed an MOU with KOTRA to collaborate on establishing dedicated sections for Korean products starting in the second half of this year. Musinsa, a leading Korean fashion platform, also signed an MOU with its designer brand partners and KOTRA to jointly expand their presence in the Chinese market.

Prior to the event, MOTIR held a meeting with commercial attachés and KOTRA trade center directors based in China to review strategies for expanding K-consumer goods. Director Na stated, "Consumer goods are a key item for export diversification this year. We will prepare and announce a 'Plan to Expand Consumer Goods Exports to China' within the first half of the year."

dkkim@yna.co.kr



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Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (March 19, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.