K-food highlights Korea ahead of 2025 APEC summit

K-food has become the top reason foreigners visit South Korea. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s 2024 Survey on Foreign Tourists found that 62.8 percent cited culinary exploration as their main motivation. More than six in 10 travelers said they came for the enjoyment of food. While shopping had long been the top reason for foreign visitors, K-food has led since 2022. A global survey by travel platform Agoda also ranked South Korea as the top Asian destination for culinary tourism last year.

K-food has also emerged as a major export. Frozen gimbap is available in U.S. supermarkets, and instant noodles are shipped to more than 130 countries. Japan’s new first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said she enjoys Korean seaweed. Domestic agricultural and seafood exports first exceeded $10 billion in 2021 and reached a record $13.03 billion last year.

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Oct. 31 in Gyeongju will showcase a variety of K-food, including kimchi, ramen, and fried chicken. CJ CheilJedang will provide Bibigo cup meals, tteokbokki, seaweed snacks, and flavored chestnuts to participants’ accommodations and the media center. Nongshim will provide 10,000 Shin Ramyeon noodles in collaboration with "K-Pop Demon Hunters" and operate a booth. Kyochon F&B will serve chicken products across the venues, alongside offerings from Young Dongabang and Buchang Bakery.

K-food is gaining global recognition in the culinary world. This year’s James Beard Award for Best Chef went to Yim Jung-sik, owner of the Korean fine dining restaurant Jungsik in New York. The APEC official dinner on Oct. 31 provides a chance to showcase K-food to world leaders. Korean-American chef Edward Lee will collaborate with Lotte Hotel chefs, featuring Gyeongju specialties such as Hanwoo beef, flounder, and abalone.

During APEC, roughly 20,000 participants, including heads of state, aides, business leaders, and government officials, are expected in Gyeongju for around 200 meetings. In addition to direct economic effects, extensive media coverage is anticipated. Twenty years after the 2005 Busan summit, the Gyeongju APEC offers a chance for “gastro diplomacy,” in which a country strategically showcases its cuisine to build international goodwill, strengthen its brand, promote tourism and exports, and support diplomatic ties.

Frequent exposure to Korean cuisine can foster positive perceptions of South Korea and its products. Rising K-food exports also boost demand for domestic agricultural goods, supporting rural communities, small businesses, and regional economies. With K-food’s growing popularity alongside Hallyu content, the APEC summit offers a prime opportunity to showcase the quality and appeal of Korean cuisine worldwide, highlighting the importance of public-private cooperation in promoting it.