Covering the food & beverage industry, beauty, fashion, retail markets, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and related people and entities worldwide
APEC draws noodle, chicken sponsorships from K-food firms
Kyochon Chicken's Honey Garlic chicken / Courtesy of Kyochon F&B
By Ko Dong-hwan
21 countries offered signature tastes
The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is expected to be a showcase for major Korean food products that have drawn the attention of global consumers.
The government last month started gathering local firms interested in sponsoring the event, which will draw leaders from 21 economies across the Asia-Pacific. Following three rounds of applications, the government selected companies specializing in various foods that promote Korea’s culinary culture.
The companies seek to introduce their food products to some 20,000 participants, including 6,000 government representatives, expected at the event, which will last from late October to early November.
Nongshim, which has seen a major windfall from Netflix’s worldwide hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” is one of the sponsors. Foods depicted in the animation went viral after fans recognized them as dupes of the company's most popular items, fueling global attention. The company, which specializes in instant noodles and snacks, then formed a partnership with Netflix to release products with “KPop Demon Hunters” characters on their packaging.
Nongshim said it will provide 10,000 Shin Ramyun cup noodles made in collaboration with Netflix for participants of the two-day event.
Kyochon F&B, which runs the major fried chicken franchise Kyochon Chicken, is another sponsor. The company said it will provide chicken to the event venues in Gyeongju. The brand is among the country’s top three fried chicken brands, alongside bhc and Genesis BBQ.
Nongshim's Shin Ramyun cup noodles, made in collaboration with Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" / Courtesy of Nongshim
CJ CheilJedang, which runs food brand Bibigo, said it will provide its chestnut and dried seaweed snacks for the event. The products are currently in distribution across more than 60 countries around the world.
Buchang Bakery, a previously defunct company that was jointly revived by actor Lee Jang-woo and the food company FG in 2024, will provide walnut cakes to be used as dessert for dinner banquets and luncheons during the event.
Lee, having showcased his cooking skills on variety shows, joined with FG to reinterpret the brand. Originally founded in Gyeongju in 1963, Lee helped open the first renewed Buchang Bakery in Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch in 2024, more than twenty years after the bakery last closed its doors. The brand has now expanded to eight locations nationwide.
Beverage company Dong-a Otsuka already began sponsoring this year’s APEC through its canned water, Masinda. The company began providing the product in July, when the city hosted senior officials from 21 countries for a third round of preliminary meetings ahead of the summit.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corp., which manufactures the country’s top drinking water brand Samdasoo, provided the product for all senior officials’ meetings in February, May and July, and will continue sponsoring APEC this month.
The participating firms will receive incentives including approval to use the APEC emblem on their products and the opportunity to run booths at a K-Food Station during the summit.