Korean Processed Food Buyers Delegation to Fancy Food Show Summer, June 30 – July 2, 2018, New York

ATO Seoul brought a delegation of eleven Korean buyers to the Fancy Food Show Summer 2018, June 30 – July 2. The delegation was composed of buyers from 3 large-scale retail stores and 4 independent import distributors. The activity allowed the buyers to generate face-to-face contacts with a large number of American suppliers of high-value processed food and beverage products on the show floor. In addition, the delegation made fieldtrips to local grocery stores and foodservice outlets during the trip to gain understanding of the food supply chain and product trends in the United States. A follow-up survey revealed that the activity would potentially generate over $500,000 of new sales to American suppliers within the next 12 months.

Great American Craft Beer & Wine Festival Busan @ Busan Int’l Food Fair & Coffee Show 2018, June 23-24

ATO Seoul, in partnership with a group of Korean alcohol beverage import distributors, organized ‘Great American Craft Beer & Wine Festival’ for the first time in the Busan at its International Food Fair & Coffee Show 2018, June 23 – 24. The fourteen partner import distributors exhibited a wide diversity of products from 26 American craft breweries and 21 wineries. In addition, three USDA cooperators (CWC, CMC, USAPEEC) joined the exhibition and promoted their products as matching foods for craft beer and wine. During the two days of exhibition, over 5,000 consumers in Busan visited the activity and gained understanding about the quality, value and diversity of American craft beer and wine through guided tasting and consultation with the exhibitors. The import distributors also gained contacts with key local wholesale and retail buyers during the exhibition. Busan, the second largest city in Korea, has the potential to emerge as a key regional market for high-value American products such as craft beer and wine as young professionals in the region are fast adopting new trends that are taking place in the leading market in Korea, Seoul. ATO Seoul intends to support the import distributors to expand their marketing reach to Busan, which should generate new business opportunities for American craft beer and wine.

American Quarter Horse Western Riding School / Unjusan Equestrian Park, Yeongcheon City, Gyeongbuk Province, South Korea June 7 – July 3, 2018

The ‘American Quarter Horse Western Riding School’ co-organized by ATO Seoul and the Korean Quarter Horse Association (KQHA) kicked off on June 7. This four week program, led by two professional American trainers from Wild Horsemanship Center, Ocala, FL, will provide leaders of the local quarter horse industry with in-depth, hands-on training on western riding skills. KQHA represents breeders and riding farms of quarter horses in Gyeongbuk province, South Korea who are committed to developing the recreational riding industry based on American quarter horses and western riding fundamentals. The knowledge, skills, and experiences gained by KQHA leaders under this training will be an important stepping stone for KQHA and the local recreational riding industry to support additional export opportunities for American quarter horses in Korea.