2,500 influencers spread the word on K-food through mukbang and short-form video

About 2,500 domestic and international influencers gathered to showcase the flavors and appeal of K-food to the world — sampling export-ready products such as konjac goods and rice crackers, then introducing them through mukbang and short-form video.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday it had carried out K-food promotional activities in conjunction with the 2026 Global Influencer Expo (GIE), held Friday through Sunday at the aT Center in Yangjae, Seoul.

About 2,500 domestic and international influencers took part in the event. The ministry set up a promotional pavilion at the entrance under the theme "Korea Connected by Flavor, K-Food Enjoyed Together," featuring next-generation export-ready food products.

Visitors at the pavilion could sample K-food directly and browse information on food events held across the country. An interactive program also let attendees place stickers on whichever event they most wanted to visit.

Global influencers highlighted K-food they experienced on-site through live broadcasts and short-form videos, reaching consumers overseas.

Among the participants were mukbang creator Amia Ami, who has about 2.15 million subscribers, and Masami, a Japanese content creator known for buffet and street-food videos. Jeong Gyeong-seok, the ministry's director general for food industry policy, appeared in a mukbang segment himself, introducing export-ready items including konjac products and rice crackers.

A content competition centered on K-food also drew strong interest. About 230 influencers submitted entries to the "K-Food Challenge," a pre-event contest covering topics such as hansik, kimchi, traditional liquor, exports and food festivals around the country.

Participants presented K-food in a range of formats — mukbang, vlogs, recipes and ASMR. The ministry selected 16 outstanding works and presented awards including the minister's prize. The winning entries and content produced at the event will be used in future online promotional campaigns.

The ministry plans to extend its K-food promotion into regional tourism and traditional liquor. In November, it will organize a familiarization tour for about 10 influencers, tied to the "Visit the Brewery" project.

Participants will visit representative breweries across six regions nationwide — Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Jeju — to experience the history and character of each region's traditional liquor. The visits will be turned into video content and shared on social media to reach audiences abroad.

"It is important to spread the appeal of K-food widely around the world and expand our touchpoints with overseas consumers," Jeong said. "We will continue to leverage the diverse content and influence of global influencers to raise awareness of K-food and actively support Korean food companies in entering overseas markets and growing their exports."