SEOUL -- A barista competition to pick South Korea's national barista will take place in the southern port city of Busan, well known for its fervent coffee culture. Using a coffee machine, contestants will create 12 beverages such as espresso and milk-based drinks within 15 minutes. The winner will participate in a global barista championship in May 2024.
The 2024 Korea National Barista Championship (KNBC) is scheduled for four days, starting on February 1. To host the event, Busan is cooperating with the South Korean chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a nonprofit organization that issues international barista certificates. The selected barista will compete with 59 candidates in the 2024 World Barista Championship (WBC). The WBC will happen in Busan from May 1 to May 4.
Busan is the first Asian city to host the WBC. During the four-day competition, the 2024 World of Coffee (WOC), an event designed to showcase global coffee extract suppliers, coffee-related educational programs, and seminars will also take place. The southern port city expects to welcome more than 11,000 industry officials from about 120 nations through these two global events.
In April 2023, a consortium that consists of coffee-related associations and research institutes was launched in Busan to nurture the city's thriving coffee industry and offer efficient coffee-related policies. The southern port city has many streets with unique coffee shops favored by travelers. Jeonpo Café Street with different colorful coffee shops in central Busan was selected as one of the must-visit locations by the New York Times and CNN.
According to data released by the Korea Customs Service, South Korea imported about $1.3 billion worth of coffee beans in 2022, up 42.4 percent from a year ago. The country's imports of coffee beans skyrocketed to $920 million in 2021 from $660 million in 2019. In 2022, Brazil was the largest exporter, followed by Viet Nam, and Columbia.
