Gimpo City and Local SMEs Poised for Export Success in Indonesia and Malaysia
ASEAN Market Development Delegation Achieves $8.5 Million in Consultations, Establishes Practical Foothold
Mayor Byungsoo Kim: "Gimpo's Competitiveness Can Succeed Globally... Supporting Enhanced Global Competitiveness"
Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Byungsoo Kim) has taken a proactive approach to establishing a foundation for ASEAN market exports for local small and medium-sized enterprises, resulting in approximately USD 8.5 million in business consultations. Of this, contracts worth about USD 2.25 million are expected to be finalized.
Through this initiative, Gimpo City has identified export opportunities for a variety of products-including consumer goods, beauty items, food, and industrial goods-in Indonesia and Malaysia, where the popularity of Korean products is rising due to the spread of the Korean Wave and the expansion of the middle-class consumer base. The city has also established a practical foothold for entering local distribution networks.
From October 19 to 25, 2025, Gimpo City operated the "2025 Gimpo ASEAN Market Development Delegation" in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for seven days and six nights. Nine local small and medium-sized enterprises participated, conducting 66 one-on-one business meetings with local buyers.
Notably, Mayor Byungsoo Kim personally accompanied the delegation, encouraging participating entrepreneurs and reaffirming Gimpo City's commitment to export support. Mayor Kim stated, "The technological prowess and product competitiveness of Gimpo companies can succeed in the global market. The city will continue to support companies as they expand overseas. ASEAN is a strategic core market for the overseas expansion of Gimpo's small and medium-sized enterprises. Through this market development delegation, we aim to deepen our understanding of the Southeast Asian market and expand customized export support programs to help our companies strengthen their global competitiveness."
This market development delegation was hosted by Gimpo City and co-organized by the Gimpo Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Gyeonggi Small and Medium Business Association. The nine participating companies were Daeyoung Bend Co., Ltd., Dongyang Hoist Crane Co., Ltd., City Cosmetic Co., Ltd., Oksun Cosmetic Co., Ltd., Conrepair Co., Ltd., Queen-Art Co., Ltd., Twins Co., Ltd., Hanil Patech Co., Ltd., and Hyosung N Plus Co., Ltd. The city provided practical on-site support for participating companies, including pre-arranged buyer matching, one-on-one professional interpretation, and tailored business consultations.
In addition, the delegation visited local companies' offices and factories to directly introduce their products and conducted thorough assessments of buyers' distribution networks, market presence, influence, and purchasing power. Through meetings with buyers of various sizes, the delegation gained firsthand insight into market characteristics and distribution structures, securing valuable information necessary for companies to develop their local market entry strategies.
Products from City Cosmetic Co., Ltd. attracted significant interest from buyers in Indonesia and Malaysia. In particular, meetings with major hair product companies and distributors in Jakarta led to verbal agreements on sample supply and local testing, increasing the likelihood of formal supply contracts in the future.
Queen-Art Co., Ltd. engaged in active consultations with Malaysian buyers, confirming strong interest in its products. Buyers requested a variety of product samples and proposed additional meeting schedules, and after internal review, indicated the possibility of sample orders for certain products, suggesting a positive outlook for future transactions.
Products related to the Korean Wave-such as K-beauty, K-food, and daily consumer goods-received significant attention from local buyers. Indonesia and Malaysia, where trust in Korean culture and products is rapidly spreading among younger consumers, are seeing a steady increase in demand for Korean cosmetics, food, and household goods, fueling enthusiastic consultations for participating companies.
In response to these market trends, Gimpo City is supporting local companies with strong quality and design competitiveness to enhance their brand value in the ASEAN market and establish a sustainable foundation for continued exports.
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