Korean Wave Captivates New York... 20,000 Flock to U.S. 'Korean Wave Expo'

The "New York Korean Wave Expo," held for the first time in North America, attracted around 20,000 visitors and resulted in export contracts and business agreements (MOUs) worth a total of 11 million US dollars signed on-site.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA hosted the "2025 New York Korean Wave Expo (KBEE 2025 NEW YORK)" over three days starting November 6 (local time) at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, USA.

The Korean Wave Expo, now in its 25th year, is a leading Hallyu marketing platform that combines the Korean Wave and export marketing to promote diversification of consumer goods export markets overseas and increase awareness of small and medium-sized enterprises' products among foreign consumers and buyers. In line with the peak of the Korean Wave, represented by "K-Pop Demon Hunters," the expo was held in North America for the first time to create synergy between K-culture and consumer goods exports and to enhance their premium image.

At the opening ceremony of the "2025 New York Korean Wave Expo (KBEE 2025 NEW YORK)" held on November 7 (local time) at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, USA, Kang Kyung-sung, President of KOTRA, and three ambassadors presented a donation to the local youth protection organization "Covenant House New Jersey." (From left: singer Hwasa, Kang Kyung-sung, President of KOTRA, actress Ha Ji-won, singer Taemin). KOTRA.

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Recently, K-culture and consumer goods have been experiencing a surge in popularity in North America. Amid the Korean content boom, K-beauty ranked first in the US cosmetics import market in 2024, leading to more manufacturers of cosmetics ingredients and finished products entering the market. For Korea, the United States is the largest export market for K-food, with exports of food products such as ramen and gim increasing by an average of 10% per year over the past decade.

This Korean Wave Expo was organized in New York, the heart of trends and distribution, to raise awareness of K-consumer goods and expand into local distribution networks by leveraging the K-culture boom. The expo featured a variety of programs, including one-on-one B2B (business-to-business) export consultation exhibitions between local buyers and Korean exporters (to boost exports), B2C (business-to-consumer) promotional showcases (B2C marketing), immersive Hallyu experience zones (immersive marketing), Hallyu star performances, and CSR activities (social responsibility, promoting win-win cooperation through cultural and industrial convergence).

The main program was the export consultation exhibition where K-culture met K-consumer goods. One hundred companies specializing in premium consumer goods (beauty, food, fashion, etc.) held a total of 1,390 export consultations with 235 buyers (185 from North America and 50 from Central and South America). Distribution networks such as Hyundai Home Shopping, W Concept, and Aland also worked to enter the market alongside small and medium-sized enterprises, developing K-distribution platforms and cross-border e-commerce export marketing. Hallyu star performances and event marketing attracted buyers and boosted on-site sales.

The B2B export consultation venue of the "2025 New York Korean Wave Expo (KBEE 2025 NEW YORK)" held at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, USA. KOTRA.

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To further spread the Korean Wave fever among New York consumers, a large-scale B2C promotional showcase was held both online and offline. O2O (online-to-offline) omnichannel marketing, which combined Hallyu star performances and fan meetings, was implemented, and partnerships with major Korean-American distribution networks in the US (H Mart, Aland, Wootari Mall) improved purchasing convenience. Online, K-star merchandise and other goods were sold through cross-border e-commerce platforms such as eBay, W Concept, Deliver Korea, Ktown4u, and the National Museum Cultural Foundation.

An immersive Hallyu marketing stage was also set up, allowing visitors to experience Korean Wave content and purchase K-consumer goods at the same time. At the entrance, hologram ambassadors (Ha Ji-won, Taemin, Hwasa) introduced the expo, and various experiential events such as K-beauty makeup shows, K-food cooking shows, and Hallyu star costume zones proved popular. At the K-content promotion booth, operated in collaboration with Netflix, long lines formed for the "hologram photo booth," where visitors could take photos as drama protagonists. The museum goods zone run by the National Museum Cultural Foundation and the Aespa hanbok and costume experience zone also drew steady crowds.

The opening celebration featured official Hallyu ambassadors Ha Ji-won, Taemin, and Hwasa, who thrilled the New York audience. On the second day, fan meetings and autograph sessions helped further fuel the K-beauty, fashion, and food boom.

CSR activities and donation events, in which Korean companies in the US participated together with Hallyu stars and fans, added further meaning to the expo. The donations were delivered to the local youth protection organization "Covenant House New Jersey" and will be used to support homeless youth. A representative from Covenant House stated, "Beyond the sponsorship activities, it is significant as a symbol of Korea-US cooperation created together by Hallyu stars, companies, and fans."

KOTRA previously held Korean Wave Expos in Cambodia and Kazakhstan in the first half of this year, and plans to continue with expos in New York in November and Kuala Lumpur in December, aiming to enhance the image of Korea as a cultural powerhouse and diversify export markets for K-consumer goods. The goal is to expand marketing opportunities that combine Hallyu stars and culture, which are difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to pursue independently.

Kang Kyung-sung, President of KOTRA, said, "The Korean Wave Expo is a leading Hallyu marketing platform that has enhanced the brand awareness of K-consumer goods for 15 years by combining industry and culture. KOTRA will continue to diversify K-consumer goods items and markets, and accelerate the era of 1 trillion US dollars in exports by driving a virtuous cycle between Hallyu and industry."

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