Gov’t ministries unite for massive K-Expo USA in Los Angeles

A scene of a beauty booth installed at K-Expo in Toronto in 2025 [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM] Jay Park on stage, hoe gimbap (raw fish rice roll) in hand and K-beauty on faces — Los Angeles is set to be swept up in a wave of Korean content and trend through early next week at “2026 K-Expo USA.” Starting Saturday, a Korean government-led exposition spanning themes of entertainment, cuisine and beauty will be held in downtown areas of Los Angeles, according to the host, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on Friday. The expo will run through next Wednesday. Related Article Busan’s colorful backstreets embody the port city’s rich history, culture and flavors CICI holds 17th Culture Communication Forum at Italian ambassador’s residence Korean, Mexican presidents discuss bilateral cooperation on energy, economy, culture The event aims to boost Korean enterprises’ profile by showcasing contemporary trends and the latest technologies that have propelled the spread of Korean culture overseas. Poster for “2026 K-Expo USA” [KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER] Netflix will host an exhibition featuring images from its original productions made in Korea, while operating a lounge space displaying food products inspired by its intellectual property. Naver Webtoon, a digital comics subsidiary of Korea’s major platform operator, will offer an immersive exhibition that blends themes of food and beauty. Instant noodle maker Nongshim and cosmetics brand Jungsaemmool Beauty will also operate booths at the event. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place across North America, the Korea Football Association will also run an exhibition on the theme of the Korean national football team at the expo. Besides the exhibitions, the expo will offer consultation sessions for enterprises and food tasting events for individual consumers. Chef Song Hoon, who appeared on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars (2024-2025), and actor Ryu Soo-young, known for promoting Korean cuisine and developing easy-to-follow recipes, will offer Korean dishes featuring dried seaweed, known as gim . Among their offerings are halibut hoe gimbap and halibut tacos. Korea’s major fried chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ, will also let visitors taste its crispy offerings. Fans cheer while watching performances of K-pop artists at K-Expo held in Toronto in 2025. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM] The K-pop segment is expected to culminate on Sunday with the concert starring Jay Park, P1Harmony and K-pop rookie group LNGSHOT. The performance will be held at the Peacock Theater. In addition, K-pop fans are expected to experience AI-powered K-pop dance challenge technology. The expo will run through Wednesday. Besides the Culture Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups came together for the pan-governmental expo in Los Angeles. BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]