The Seoul Food Show 2013, which took place at KINTEX in Goyang, north of Seoul, from May 14-17 attracted more than 1,200 exhibitors from 38 countries, making it the largest one ever. The fair has established itself as one of Asia’s top three trade exhibitions. The collective value of trade negotiation amounts approximately 50,000 Korean and foreign buyers held one-on-one meetings was estimated at some 2 trillion won. 

Seoul Food Show 2013, the sole UFI-certified food exhibition in Korea, was hosted and organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). True to the catchphrase “Back to Basics, Beyond the Best,” Seoul Food 2013 kept on showing fundamentals of food ingredients with a focus on showcasing a wide range of new products and technologies of the Korean and global food industries. The exhibition was the 31st of its kind since its inception in 1983. 

“The Seoul Food Show made its debut in 1983 with six countries participating when the nation was preparing to host the Seoul Summer Olympics. The fair has come from strength to strength to become one of Asia’s top three biggest fairs, surging to more than 1,211 exhibitors from 38 countries,” President Oh Young-ho of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), said in his speech at a joint opening ceremony for Seoul Food Show 2013 and Korea Food Show 2013. Foreign exhibitors numbered 455, accounting for 45 percent of the total, he noted.

President Oh went on to say that he hoped the fair would serve as an opportunity to explore new markets and exchange information related to the food industries. 

Deputy Minister Kwon Pyung-oh of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; said in his speech, “This food fair will serve as a milestone to get a glimpse of changes in global consumer need, thus spearheading the development of the global food industry and globalization.” He expressed his hope that this event would provide good business opportunities not only for those in the food industry but also for those in the food trading industry.

Seoul Food 2013 coincided with the Korea Food Show 2013, hosted and organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and aT, for the second straight time, surpassing 90,000 square meters in terms of exhibition area, becoming Asia’s biggest food fair.

By country, China topped the list of exhibitors with 170 companies at 184 booths, followed by the United States, Taiwan, and Thailand. Cuba, with which Korea has no diplomatic relations, made its debut at the Seoul Food Show by displaying cigars, rums, and agricultural products. Turkey, Denmark, and the Netherlands brought dairy, pork, beverages, and heath-functional foods to make inroads into the Korean market and make the most of the implementation of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement. 

KOTRA invited more than 3,000 foreign buyers via its 119 overseas trade centers in 81 countries. 

In particular, 100 influential foreign buyers held Global Food Plaza meetings. Ten global marketing companies were invited to hold meetings about installing outlets for Korean companies. 

The fair held an exporting meeting between foreign businessmen with Korean ancestry and Korean counterparts and domestic buyers’ meetings to provide full support to Korean exporters suffering from the sagging global and domestic economies. 

Seoul Food 2013 also coincided with such side events as diverse seminars, including ones on halal certification to facilitate Korea’s entry into Islamic markets, serving as an opportunity for exhibitors and spectators alike to gain useful information about the global and domestic food industries.

Oh Jae-ho, director general in charge of exhibition and convention at KOTRA, said, “Seoul Food 2013 has served as a window of opportunities to promote co-prosperity and shared growth among Korean and foreign companies, including small ones and global players, going beyond the scope of just creating business opportunities. We’ll step on the gas to create content so that more countries and more companies can participate in the years to come.”