The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will hold "K-EXPO FRANCE 2026" in Paris, France, from the 16th to the 19th, the ministry said Monday. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young will visit Paris on the occasion of the expo to inspect the event site and meet with France's culture minister and heads of major cultural and arts institutions to discuss bilateral issues.
From the 16th to the 18th, a "consumer exhibition" featuring institutions and companies from various fields will be held at the Palais des Congrès, one of Paris's leading international event facilities, to showcase the present and future of K-culture. Netflix will operate a joint pavilion involving 12 companies and institutions that use its popular content, including "K-Pop Demon Hunters," "Squid Game," and "Culinary Class Wars," for product sales and promotion. The Korea Tourism Organization will recreate a subway and a hiking trail to promote Korea's four seasons and operate an aircraft seat experience zone in collaboration with Korean Air.
A convenience store-style food experience zone where visitors can sample Han River instant noodles and vegan kimchi, a promotion and experience zone for Korean seafood products such as seaweed snacks, a promotion zone featuring students learning Korean at King Sejong Institute in France, a K-beauty experience zone, a Nongshim brand pavilion, and a K-book exhibition hall will also meet local visitors in France.
The expo will also spotlight Korea's latest artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive content technologies. Highlights include an AI film and animation experience zone involving CJ ENM and 11 new-technology content companies, an immersive augmented reality book content exhibition, and a digital exhibition presenting French luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton alongside Korea's premium craft brands through immersive video.
In addition, on the 18th and 19th, side events will be held, including a cooking show themed around K-seafood, a Korean cuisine storytelling program by actor Ryu Soo-young, known as a "Korean food evangelist," a demonstration of Korean-style skin care, lectures by invited Korean authors, and a "K-pop Dance Random Play." An export consultation session involving a total of 46 companies—36 content companies and 10 beauty companies—will also take place.
On the 17th, a K-pop concert will be held, featuring a large lineup of K-pop artists popular in France, including TAEMIN, MONSTA X, Hearts2Hearts, NCT WISH, Stella Jang, and 82MAJOR. The event will begin with a ceremony marking the establishment of diplomatic relations, attended by the culture ministers of both countries, followed by performances by popular K-pop artists on the theme of friendship and cultural exchange between the two nations, including French songs loved by Korea and Korean songs loved by France.
"K-Expo" is a comprehensive exhibition held around the world that encompasses K-pop concerts, industrial exhibitions and experiences, and corporate export consultations to support the joint overseas expansion of K-culture companies in content, food, beauty, fashion, and tourism. In particular, the K-pop concert held alongside this expo has been arranged as a flagship event commemorating the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, under the theme of "companionship, romance, and gratitude" between Korea and France. K-Expo began in 2022 and was previously held under the name "K-EXPO USA 2026" in Los Angeles, the United States, from May 23 to 27 this year, where it gained popularity.
"It is deeply meaningful to introduce K-culture's new and diverse appeal through a joint ministry effort to France, which has maintained a 140-year history of cultural exchange with Korea," Minister Choi said. "I hope that cooperation between the two countries will deepen and expand further through the 'Lumière Summit,' a film and video summit to be co-hosted by Korea and France in September this year."
