South Korea’s largest-ever international food exposition kicked off Tuesday for a four-day run, bringing together more than 1,100 companies from 45 countries.

The 2011 Seoul Food Expo will run until Friday at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, according to its organizer, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

The 29th Seoul Food Expo comes as Seoul is seeking to promote its traditional cuisine, called hansik in Korean, and boost exports of fresh and processed foodstuffs.

Nearly 1,000 bilateral meetings will also be held between South Korean companies and foreign participants during the event, which are expected to lead to on-site deals worth some $100 million and future deals amounting to more than $1 billion, KOTRA said.

“We will continue to develop the Seoul Food Expo into a leading international event especially from next year when we will mark the 30th anniversary of the start of the event,” KOTRA president Cho Hwan-eik said.

The event is also open to the public and the proceeds from admissions will be donated to charitable organizations, such as food banks and Save the Children, KOTRA said. 

(Yonhap News)