Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo (KBEE) 2026 was held in Melbourne, Australia, to translate the global popularity of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) into exports of consumer goods, such as K-food and K-beauty products, and take economic and cultural cooperation between Korea and Australia to the next level.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA, Minister Song Mi-ryung) co-hosted KBEE 2026 Melbourne and the Australia K-Food Fair with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, President Kang Kyung-sung) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT, Acting President Kim Chang-guk). The three-day events were held from November 5 to November 7, 2026, at Melbourne Showgrounds in Australia.

First held in 2010, KBEE reached its 28th edition this year, taking place in Oceania for the first time. The expo is a flagship export marketing program that combines Korean cultural events with export consultation meetings to help Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and middle-market companies enter overseas markets. K-pop group WINNER served as honorary ambassadors, while Australian dance crew AG Squad, runners-up in a dance competition show on Korean music channel Mnet, gave a special performance at the opening ceremony, drawing an enthusiastic response from local visitors. Australia and Korea are key economic partners marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Australia is Korea’s largest trading partner in Oceania and its sixth-largest overall, with bilateral trade totaling USD 46.3 billion in 2025. The two countries have built a complementary relationship by combining Australia’s abundant energy and mineral resources with Korea’s manufacturing capabilities and advanced technologies. Australia is also a high-income consumer market, with nominal GDP per capita of USD 66,000 in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Demand for consumer goods, including health and wellness products and cosmetics, has recently increased in this market. Combined with this demand, the spread of the Korean Wave has significantly improved perceptions of Korean products, boosting Korean cosmetics exports to Australia.

The business-to-business (B2B) export consultation meetings brought together 101 Korean companies offering food, cosmetics, household goods, and fashion products and 144 buyer companies from Oceania and Southeast Asia. Participants held 1,235 meetings and signed a total of 32 export contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth a combined USD 18 million. The business-to-consumer (B2C) exhibition and sales event drew around 10,000 visitors, including representatives of local businesses and consumers. In particular, Korean online and offline retail platforms, along with cross-border e-commerce platforms, set up individual booths that featured popular products and content, highlighting the Korean Wave and the “Made in Korea” label. They also ran a diverse range of interactive marketing activities featuring K-food, K-beauty, K-fashion, and more.

On the sidelines of KBEE 2026 Melbourne, MOTIR held a roundtable with Korean companies operating in Australia, including GS E&C, Amorepacific, Hanwha Aerospace, and Samsung C&T, received feedback on their on-the-ground challenges, and explored practical support measures.

“With USD 1 trillion in exports now within sight, identifying new drivers of export growth is a top priority,” said Na Sung-hwa, Director General for International Trade Policy at MOTIR. “Loved around the world, the Korean Wave serves as both a strong competitive edge and a powerful asset for K-consumer goods companies. We will actively support them in turning the influence of Korean culture into tangible export results so that Korean consumer goods can grow into a new mainstay of our exports.”