'2025 Gwangju ACE Fair' Opens on the 28th

400 Companies from 33 Countries Gather at DJ Center Until August 31
Gwangju Aims to Become Asia's Leading Hub for Globalizing K-Content

At the opening ceremony of '2025 Gwangju ACE Fair,' the largest cultural content exhibition in Korea, held on the 28th at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju, Mayor Kang Gijeong of Gwangju and attendees are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Gwangju City

On August 28, the city of Gwangju opened the '2025 Gwangju ACE Fair (Asia Content & Entertainment Fair in Gwangju)', the largest exhibition in Korea specializing in cultural content, at the Kim Daejung Convention Center. The exhibition will run for four days until August 31. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the ACE Fair is being held under the theme, "Beyond Paradigms, An Invitation to Gwangju."

The exhibition encompasses all areas of K-content, including broadcasting, over-the-top (OTT) streaming, animation, games, extended reality (XR), and artificial intelligence (AI). It also introduces new programs such as ▲investment attraction networking events (meetups), ▲international academic conferences, and ▲a youth AI content competition, presenting a vision for the future of the content industry.

The opening ceremony included the declaration of the opening, a welcome speech, an opening video, an opening performance, the sharing of successful cases from leading Gwangju companies, and visits to major booths. The event was attended by more than 50 participants, including Mayor Kang Kijeong of Gwangju, representatives from domestic and international content companies, and officials from major organizations.

This year’s exhibition features 400 companies from 33 countries. Alongside around 50 local companies such as Studio Button, Ultra Green, Pingo Entertainment, and Ice Cream Studio, global industry leaders including CJ ENM, SK Broadband, SAMG Entertainment (producer of 'Catch! Teenieping'), China’s CCTV Animation, and India’s VirtualSoft are also participating.

Gwangju Mayor Kang Kijeong attended the opening ceremony of the '2025 Gwangju ACE Fair' held at the Kim Daejung Convention Center on the 28th and toured the exhibition booths. Provided by Gwangju City

In addition, 200 domestic and international buyers, including 150 overseas buyers, have come to Gwangju. Participating companies will pursue tangible results through one-on-one business matching consultations with major global companies such as Kakao, KBS Media, SBS Medianet, Brazil’s Globo, and Mexico’s Imagen Televisi?n.

In particular, the newly established 'ACE Fair Investment Attraction Networking Event (Meetup)' features the participation of 12 domestic companies, expanding global opportunities for content startups in their early stages.

Throughout the exhibition hall, various programs for citizens and tourists are being held. These include a ▲20th anniversary themed pavilion, ▲XR experience center, ▲illustration fair, ▲webtoon and illustration lectures, ▲creator YouTuber seminars, ▲cosplay competition, and ▲goods market. Festival-style events such as 'Beer Fest Gwangju' and 'Gwangju Bleisure Tour' have also been organized.

Mayor Kang Kijeong stated, "Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the ACE Fair has evolved beyond a simple exhibition to become a convergence content platform that combines Gwangju's unique cultural foundation with advanced technology. We will continue to actively support Gwangju’s leap forward as Asia’s leading hub for the globalization of K-content."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.