SEOUL, March 22 (AJU PRESS) -- A total of 250 South Korean and foreign coffee-related companies are participating in the "Coffee Expo Seoul," an annual coffee business exhibition held in Seoul from March 21 to March 24. Exhibitors are showcasing coffee beans, equipment, and packaging materials at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center located in Gangnam District, the fashion and finance hub of Seoul.
According to data released by market research firm Euromonitor, South Korea's annual per capita coffee consumption in 2023 was 405 cups, surpassing the global average of 152 cups per capita annually by more than double. The Korea Customs Service's data showed that the country’s coffee imports stood at $1.11 billion in 2023, which is 2.7 times higher than ten years ago. In 2023, Brazil was the largest exporter, followed by Viet Nam, and Columbia.
Domestic coffee machine distributor Dooree showcased a German product that combines the functionality of automatically brewing coffee beans and manual craftmanship by a barista. Its brewing device on the left side is designated for automatic brewing to maintain the consistent temperature and size of the beans, while the right side is for manual control.
"This dual functionality is particularly beneficial for novice baristas honing their skills, as the reliability of the automatic feature helps balance out any lack of experience from the human operator," Dooree's communications manager Lee Ji-hye told Aju Press on Friday. Lee added, "I think the demand for the automation of coffee machines is growing because of increasing labor costs, which have led to a reduction in employment opportunities for baristas."
Another domestic coffee machine maker, Delico, displayed a robot that automatically packages coffee beans with drip bags. According to the company's director Park Chang-ho, Delico's machine is priced at less than half the cost of similar products used in Japan.
The four-day event was organized by COEX and the Korea Coffee Association. During the exhibition, coffee brand operators will also share their marketing experience through a special discussion session. This year, Rwanda was selected as the special guest nation for the event. Its representatives presented its premium local coffee.
