K-Brands Eyeing US Expansion Gather Together at New York's 'Kkum Week'

Pop-up stores featuring South Korean products have opened right in the middle of Manhattan, New York.

From companies that have already entered the US market to emerging brands just knocking on the door, the scale and products vary widely.

Long lines formed in front of the Korean ramen tasting booth, and South Korean fruit targeting the US alcoholic beverage market also caught the attention of locals.

Cosmetics companies preparing for US entry carefully observe consumer reactions.

The "Kkum Week" festival, introducing South Korean companies and brands to the US market, has been held in New York.

The event connects entrepreneurs dreaming of US expansion, investors looking for promising companies, and local consumers. Veterans who have already experienced the US market voluntarily set up the event to help those who find it daunting to take on an unfamiliar market.

Chung Se-ju, chairman, who moved to New York with just 5 million won after dropping out of university and built a company valued in the trillions of won, emphasized that adapting quickly to change is the key to survival.

[Chung Se-ju / Chairman of Korean Startup Founders Association & Co-founder of Noom: It is not the strongest species that survives, but the one that adapts best and most quickly to nature. I think startups are just the same.]

Ryan Kim, CEO of Kim's Curation (Kim's Market), who imports ingredients from South Korean artisans and supplies them to famous US restaurants, advises targeting smaller markets step by step.

[Ryan Kim / CEO of Kim's Market: Rather than aiming to wrap things up in the short term, I think you can gradually rise over at least three years and show enough. If you rush it, the blow is simply too big if you fail.]

Marking its second year, this year's event saw participation from about 100 South Korean companies and some 200 local US investment firms, drawing an estimated 100,000 visitors according to the organizers.

(Video reporting: Lee Hee-hoon | Video editing: Kim Jong-mi)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.