The Korea International Trade Association held the Korea Grand Sourcing Fair 2023 at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday as part of its efforts to help domestic exporters enter overseas markets.

According to KITA, this year’s event was attended by 152 buyers from 26 countries, who conducted more than 2,300 consultations with nearly 800 Korean companies.

In particular, the proportion of buyers from the US, Vietnam, India, China and Japan, all key export markets, made up more than half the participating buyers this year.

By industry, the event fair included buyers from several sectors, including consumer and industrial goods, IT, and bio-health, KITA said.

Among the participating buyers were Pan Pacific International Trading, which operates the Japanese discount store chain Don Quijote; Wincommerce General Services, which operates over 3,400 supermarkets in Vietnam; Momo.com, one of the leading online retail brands in Taiwan; Ambica, a top 10 pharmaceutical company in the Philippines; and China’s Goertek, an Apple supplier.

KITA also organized various side events such as seminars on marketing and trading strategies, as well as consulting with foreign diplomats stationed in South Korea.

“We hope that this year’s event was helpful for domestic exporters, who are struggling with the growing uncertainty in the global trade environment amid the economic slowdown,” said Kim Gi-hyun, head of the international affairs group at KITA.

“KITA will continue to actively support Korean companies in finding new business relations and expanding exports through various marketing campaigns next year.”