K-Pop Craze Leads to 'Expansion of Exports by Small and Medium Enterprises'

K-Collection to be Held in Tokyo, Japan from the 10th
Pielworks Signs Export Contract On-site with Japanese Buyers

The K-pop (K-POP) craze is leading to an expansion in exports for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups visited the promotional event for small and medium-sized enterprise products held in connection with 'KCON JAPAN 2024' in Tokyo, Japan, on the 11th, touring the site and experiencing the products.
[Photo by Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 12th, Pielworks, which sells mask packs, signed an export contract worth 100 million yen (approximately 900 million KRW) on-site with a Japanese buyer at the K-Collection held in Tokyo, Japan, starting from the 10th.

K-Collection is a promotional event for SME products held in conjunction with ‘KCON JAPAN 2024.’ KCON is a representative Hallyu event hosted by CJ ENM, featuring K-pop performances as well.

This event saw participation from 40 promising SMEs in consumer goods sectors such as cosmetics, food, and content, conducting export consultations with local buyers. Promotional activities were also carried out targeting K-pop concert attendees.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to discover outstanding companies among those participating in K-Collection and support global promotional activities linked to the ‘2024 Donghaeng Festival.’

The day before, Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups also visited K-Collection to encourage the SME entrepreneurs. Minister Oh stated, “For our small and venture enterprises to overcome the limits of the domestic market and become key players in the era of global competition, global expansion is essential. We will expand cooperation between large and small enterprises and promote the discovery of export strategic items leveraging the popularity of Hallyu so that the Hallyu craze can connect to the global expansion of SMEs.”