Riding the K-pop boom ignited by BTS, the Korean cultural wave is making a full-scale push into Mexico and the broader Latin American market.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will hold the 2026 K-EXPO MEXICO in Mexico City from Sept. 24 to 27. The event is being organized jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young plans to attend in person.
The government is staging its largest-ever comprehensive expo in Mexico, a key market in Latin America, combining consumer exhibitions with export consultations. A consumer exhibition featuring leading K-culture companies will run from Sept. 25 to 27 at the World Trade Center Mexico City, showcasing the present and future of Korean culture.
Nongshim, CJ CheilJedang, Binggrae and Jung Kwan Jang will present K-food products popular in global markets, including instant noodles, banana milk and crispy laver snacks, while Amorepacific and LG H&H will introduce the latest in K-beauty, such as AI-based personalized product recommendations and scalp diagnostics. Netflix will offer Spanish-dubbed versions of popular Korean content, alongside a photo zone and video display for Stray Kids, who are performing in Mexico during the expo. Samsung Electronics, Kia and LG Electronics will also take part, presenting Korean content paired with cutting-edge technology, including AI-driven content recommendations tailored to individual tastes.
The Korea Creative Content Agency, Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute and Korea SMEs and Startups Agency will operate pavilions promoting Korean content, food, beauty and tourism. Displays will cover products featured in Korean shows, filming locations, Korean street food, taverns and food stalls, and customized color matching and skin analysis. Side events include a makeup show, a food show and a K-pop cover dance competition.
On Sept. 24 and 25, an export consultation session will be co-hosted by the culture, trade and health ministries together with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute. The sessions will bring together 120 Korean K-culture companies and 258 Mexican buyers. The trade ministry and KOTRA will separately hold a business-to-business showcase of Korean products, inviting 62 Korean companies and more than 120 buyers from seven countries, including the Mexican department store chain El Palacio de Hierro and the online retailer Amazon Mexico.
On Sept. 26, a K-pop concert titled "Korea Spotlight" will be held at Pepsi Center, featuring WINNER, AlphaDrive One, Soyou, Dayoung and Touched.
Mexico is the largest K-pop market in Latin America and the region's top importer of Korean beauty and food products. Local interest in Korean content runs high: when BTS performed in Mexico in May, President Claudia Sheinbaum invited the group to the presidential palace. K-culture is gaining ground across Spanish-speaking Latin America, with Mexico at the center.
President Lee Jae-myung is making a state visit to Mexico from Sept. 23 to 26 at Sheinbaum's invitation, the first state visit by a South Korean leader to the country in 16 years. Lee plans to visit the K-EXPO site on Sept. 25.
