Winner, Fifty Fifty named ambassadors for Hanoi hallyu expo

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA have appointed idol groups Winner and Fifty Fifty as promotional ambassadors for a hallyu expo set to take place next month in Hanoi, Vietnam. The two agencies are stepping up marketing efforts to convert the popularity of Korean cultural content into expanded exports of K-consumer goods.

KOTRA held an ambassador appointment ceremony Monday at its headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, officially designating Winner and Fifty Fifty for the 2026 Hanoi Hallyu Expo.

This year's expo runs July 2–4 at the Hanoi National Convention Center. The hallyu expo is a composite marketing event that combines Korean cultural content with K-consumer goods to help domestic companies expand their reach in key overseas markets. Organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA, the event is now in its 16th year.

Vietnam was chosen as this year's host country. KOTRA selected it as a strategic market given the country's strong affinity for hallyu, aiming to broaden the appeal of K-food and K-beauty into Korean lifestyle products more broadly. The event brings together cultural content companies, consumer goods firms, hallyu stars, online and offline retail platforms, and support agencies to run B2B and B2C programs simultaneously.

During the expo, organizers will offer B2B exhibition consultations, B2C showcases, hallyu performances, online-to-offline promotional events and K-culture experience programs. Major Korean retailers including Musinsa, E-mart, Shinsegae and Saengwalgongjakso will also participate, meeting local consumers and buyers.

Vietnam, with a population of more than 100 million, ranked as South Korea's third-largest export destination last year, with Korean exports to the country reaching $62.8 billion. It also ranks fourth among South Korea's consumer goods export markets, behind the United States, China and Japan.

Demand for hallyu and K-consumer goods in Vietnam is also strong. According to the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange's "2026 Global Hallyu Survey" covering 30 countries, Vietnam ranked third in the popularity of Korean cultural content, behind the Philippines and India. It ranked first in accessibility of K-food and K-beauty products, and second in K-beauty consumption share at 28.0 percent. South Korean cosmetics exports to Vietnam last year totaled $480 million, the fifth largest after the United States, China, Japan and Hong Kong.

As promotional ambassadors, Winner and Fifty Fifty will take part in the opening performance, a K-lifestyle talk concert, fan meetups and charitable activities. Through programs that put them in direct contact with local consumers, they will work to raise awareness of Korean products and culture.

Winner is a K-pop group that has built a global fandom since its debut and has cultivated a strong local profile through performances in major Vietnamese cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Fifty Fifty has expanded its overseas fan base by charting on global music charts since its debut and is expected to generate strong promotional impact targeting Vietnam's MZ generation.

Winner said it was "an honor to serve again as a Hanoi Hallyu Expo ambassador following our 2022 appointment, and we look forward to introducing Korean products and culture to local fans and consumers." Fifty Fifty said the group was "thrilled to perform in Vietnam for the first time through the hallyu expo, and hopes to share the appeal of hallyu and contribute to exchanges between the two countries."

KOTRA President Kang Gyeong-seong said the participation of hallyu stars with a strong global presence was "a great source of strength." He added that Vietnam is a hub for the spread of K-consumer goods and culture, and that growing demand for business cooperation — driven by reciprocal summit visits between the two countries over the past eight months — made it all the more important to maximize the expo's industry-culture synergy through thorough preparation.