Banana Milk Becomes Souvenir as VIP Vans Line Up Outside Olive Young

"I've never seen bottles shaped like this. This small store is packed with food we don't have in our country."

On October 30, Nicole, an American visitor at a convenience store in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, had processed milk and cup noodles in her basket. Fellow tourists lingered at the ready-to-eat section, browsing lunch boxes and triangle kimbap. "Foreigners buy ramen and banana milk as if they were souvenirs," a store employee said.

Gyeongju, the host city of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in North Gyeongsang Province, was swept up in a wave of Korean consumer goods fever. Processed milk, instant noodles, and dried seaweed flew off convenience store shelves as foreign tourists and national delegations visited. Cosmetics stores saw a steady stream of foreigners selecting Korean-made face masks and sunscreens.

According to the retail industry on October 31, sales of processed milk at about 10 GS25 convenience stores near the APEC venue and resorts surged more than 40% year-on-year from October 25 to 29. Soju and traditional liquor (34%) and kimchi (15%) also posted significant gains. The period coincided with peak foreign arrivals in Gyeongju following U.S. President Donald Trump's visit. At CU, instant noodles (22%), traditional liquor (21%), and soy milk (27%) stood out during the summit week. Seven Eleven reported sales using foreign payment methods such as Alipay jumped for seaweed snacks (five-fold), spoonable yogurt (three-fold), and soy milk (2.5-fold).

Foreign consumers said ready-to-eat meals and snacks unavailable in their home countries sparked their curiosity. Sales of instant fish cakes (2.4-fold) and steamed buns (29-fold) at CU exemplified this trend. GS25 noted strong interest in ready-to-eat items (17.8%) such as lunch boxes, kimbap, instant fish cakes, and steamed buns. "During the summit, Korean-style products drew attention, with traditional liquor gaining notice alongside soju and beer," an industry official said. "Sales of daily necessities including chargers also surged as press crews and tourists flocked to the area."

Korean cosmetics stores at major tourist spots also emerged as shopping destinations during the summit. On the same day, black vans carrying APEC foreign officials frequently stopped in front of Olive Young's Gyeongju Hwangnam store. Foreign-language inquiries about product locations echoed throughout the store. As of October 29, foreigners accounted for 63% of the store's sales, up sharply from the usual 20% during the APEC week. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt visited the store and posted photos of Korean skincare products including face masks and sunscreen on her social media.

Foreign visitors to Gyeongju are expected to continue arriving for some time. Various related events including performances and drone shows are scheduled after the summit. However, some local small business owners said they have yet to feel the consumption boost. Many shops along "Geum-ri-dan-gil" near the old Gyeongju Station stood vacant that day. "There were so few people I could barely find customers all morning," one cafe owner said. "Sales actually dropped because local traffic was restricted and pro- and anti-summit rallies were held downtown."