Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority Expands Global Coffee Network... Hosts 'Value Chain Cupping & Insight Session'

Former SCA Chair Juan Luis Barrios Attends

Direct Consultations Between Overseas Coffee Farms and Domestic Distributors

The Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority has launched efforts to establish a global cooperation network in the coffee industry.

On April 16, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority (Commissioner Park Sungho) announced that it held the "Coffee Value Chain Cupping & Insight Session" at the Coffee Business Center, which serves as the PR hall of the authority.

The event was organized to support business connections between global coffee producers and domestic import and distribution companies, as well as to promote greater exchange among industry stakeholders.

The event was attended by Juan Luis Barrios, former chair of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and Head of Coffee Production at Blue Mountain Estate Coffee Corporation, a producer of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, along with LGC Co., Ltd. (CEO Lim Sujeong), a coffee import and distribution company.

This program was organized in connection with the "Connect Coffee Busan 2026" forum hosted by the Busan Ilbo.

The event consisted of a cupping session and business meetings. During the cupping session, attendees tasted coffee beans and evaluated their quality and flavor profiles. In the subsequent one-on-one meetings, participants discussed practical cooperation measures, including import feasibility, pricing, and logistics conditions.

The authority explained that this event presented a cooperative model directly linking overseas production regions with the domestic market. Through exchanges spanning the entire coffee industry value chain, the authority expects to help strengthen supply chain stability and enhance industrial competitiveness.

Commissioner Park Sungho stated, "This event goes beyond simple tasting and serves as a venue combining expertise with business cooperation. We hope it will serve as an opportunity to expand connections with the global coffee value chain."

The authority plans to further expand its cooperation network by inviting representatives from coffee-producing country embassies and global companies in connection with the "Global Yeongdo Coffee Festival," and by promoting the local investment environment and logistics infrastructure.

On the 16th, the "Coffee Value Chain Cupping & Insight Session" event was held at the Coffee Business Center in the Gyeongja Office Promotion Hall.

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