KOTRA Hosts 'Seoul Food in Chicago' Event at US Largest Food Expo to Support K-Food Exports

NRS Held in Chicago, USA from 18th to 21st
Over 60,000 Visitors Annually... Largest Event in the US
Korean Pavilion Established to Support Domestic Companies' Overseas Marketing

KOTRA and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 20th that they are holding the "Seoul Food in Chicago" event to promote Korean food products at the 106th National Restaurant Show (NRS) held in Chicago, USA on the 18th.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA held "Seoul Food in Chicago" at the 106th National Restaurant Association Show, which took place over four days starting from the 18th in Chicago, USA. The photo shows the scene at the event venue. Photo by KOTRA

NRS is considered the largest food exhibition in the United States, attracting over 60,000 visitors annually. Major distributors such as Amazon, Costco, and Whole Foods, as well as global food companies like McDonald's and Subway, participate. Frozen foods, alcoholic beverages, drinks, and cutting-edge kitchen equipment are exhibited, along with educational sessions. This year, automated kitchen equipment incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is especially showcased.

KOTRA has set up an integrated Korean pavilion at this four-day exhibition to support overseas marketing for domestic companies. They also promote the SEOUL FOOD exhibition, which will be held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 11th of next month. About 50 Korean food companies, including those offering health functional foods and cup tteokbokki, which has recently gained great popularity in the U.S., participated in the Korean pavilion.

Companies demonstrated their technological capabilities by showcasing cooking robot arms and state-of-the-art point-of-sale (POS) systems. KOTRA added that nine other Korean companies participating individually are also exploring export opportunities to the U.S.

Kim Rak-gon, head of KOTRA Chicago Trade Center, said, "The export value of Korean food products to the U.S. reached a record high of about 1.7 billion dollars last year, and the growth trend continues with a 16% increase compared to the same period last year as of April. We will support more K-food companies to successfully enter the U.S. market, which has surpassed Japan and China to become the top export destination."