About 140 South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises are launching a joint marketing push to break into the U.S. consumer goods market. The approach involves taking part in an event held in the United States to negotiate exports directly with large global retailers and to seek meetings with new buyers.
The Korea Federation of SMEs said it held the opening ceremony of the "K-Goods Fair" at "ASD Market Week 2026," which took place in Las Vegas on the 25th local time. The fair featured about 150 booths spanning categories such as beauty and lifestyle. Participants ranged widely, including companies in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' export consortium program, small business owners covered by the federation's Noranusan mutual aid fund, Home & Shopping partner firms, and SMEs based in regions such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, North Gyeongsang and North Chungcheong.
The opening ceremony drew numerous major figures from home and abroad, including Hwang Byung-koo, chairman of the co-hosting Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce, along with Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley, Nevada Outreach Director Sonny Vinuya and FORGE Senior Vice President Carolyn Sproud.
Nevada and the city of Las Vegas presented letters of appreciation to Kim Ki-mun, chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs, and Hwang Byung-koo, chairman of the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce, in recognition of their contributions to Korea-U.S. business cooperation through the large-scale Korean pavilion.
Officials from a range of U.S. retailers attended the event in large numbers. Angel, a director at the U.S. retail chain Bealls Department Store, said, "As interest in Korean content such as dramas and K-pop grows, demand for Korean products is also rising." Angel added, "It was great to see so many different products in one place through this large Korean pavilion, and I plan to watch over the three days of the exhibition and hold consultations on various products."
Miguel, a buyer from Brazil's Beautypro, said, "I keep coming back to this exhibition to source seasonal products," adding, "Trying out Korean products I had been eyeing in person, they were far more attractive than I expected." Miguel added, "I'm interested in K-beauty products with excellent design and quality, and I requested samples because I think there is a real opportunity in the Latin American market by leveraging their distinctive features."
Business owners from Korea also expressed high satisfaction with the event. They said the opportunity to meet local retailers and buyers directly was likely to translate into concrete business results.
Seo Hyun-young, CEO of Skin&Plus, said, "At the ASD exhibition I first attended in March, I was able to sign a $2.5 million exclusive contract with a Latin American buyer." Seo added, "I want to use this second appearance to successfully sign contracts with large North American retailers such as Walmart and Costco and expand our opportunities to enter the market."
Han Young-wook, CEO of Shinil Special Metals, said, "I was able to reconnect during this exhibition with a Mexican buyer I had lost contact with in the past, which allowed for faster discussions about an additional contract." Han explained, "Through online meetings beforehand, I was able to prepare in advance for the products on display and my consultation strategy, and I am looking forward to consultations not only with existing buyers but also with new ones."
Kim Ki-mun said, "Even as uncertainty in the trade environment deepens, K-beauty and K-food are enjoying great popularity, and their standing has risen to the point where the ASD exhibition organizers requested participation by Korean companies." Kim stressed, "In an era of low birth rates and population aging, overseas expansion by SMEs is now essential," adding, "I hope this fair becomes a practical export platform through which our SMEs open new inroads into the North and Central American markets."
