From May 21 to May 24, at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju, South Korea, VKBIA, in cooperation with the Gwangju Metropolitan Government and the Gwangju Tourism Organization, organized the “Gwangju Global Food Fair 2026” — one of the largest and most prestigious international food exhibitions in the southwestern region of South Korea.
Gwangju is one of South Korea’s major metropolitan cities, renowned for its distinctive culture, thriving creative industries, and status as one of the representative culinary hubs of the Honam region. The “Gwangju Food Fair” is held annually and is regarded as the largest food and beverage industry exhibition in the Honam area, focusing on sectors such as food products, agricultural and seafood products, processed foods, beverages, desserts, functional foods, food technology, food industry machinery and equipment, and smart agriculture models.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung emphasized that this year’s exhibition would place particular focus on trends in green foods, functional foods, food and beverage technologies, smart agriculture, and the development of a sustainable food and agricultural ecosystem in the context of global economic integration.
“Gwangju Global Food Fair 2026” has attracted more than 300 companies participating in business-to-business (B2B) networking and direct sales programs, featuring over 450 exhibition booths. In addition, the event includes various activities such as the Vietnam–Korea Investment and Trade Promotion Conference; Vietnamese cultural and culinary promotion spaces; meetings with importers, distributors, and international retail chains; as well as product showcases, tasting experiences, and culinary demonstrations.
VKBIA has supported around 50 delegates from various localities in Vietnam, representing enterprises operating in sectors such as tea, coffee, agricultural products, Vietnamese beverages, restaurant and supermarket chains, and import-export businesses. These enterprises are promoting their brands and products while expanding opportunities to access international markets and enhance export-import activities.
On this occasion, the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between VKBIA and the Gwangju Tourism Organization was held to strengthen strategic cooperation in trade promotion, tourism, culture, investment, and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and South Korea in the coming period.
VKBIA and the Gwangju Tourism Organization expressed their expectation that the MOU would lay the foundation for long-term cooperation programs between the Vietnamese business community and Gwangju — an important cultural, creative, and industrial center of South Korea. This cooperation is also expected to contribute to the further development of the Vietnam–South Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a more substantive, effective, and sustainable manner in the years ahead.
VKBIA Chairman Tran Hai Linh expressed confidence that the “Gwangju Global Food Fair 2026” would become an important international trade platform, helping strengthen economic, investment, trade, and people-to-people cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea. At the same time, the event is expected to strongly promote the internationalization of Vietnamese and Korean products and brands, thereby contributing to efforts to boost bilateral economic cooperation and achieve the target of raising two-way trade turnover to USD 150 billion by 2030.
