Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

MATRADE leads efforts to boost visibility and deepen trade engagement with South Korea

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 JULY 2025 (FRIDAY) - The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will lead Malaysia’s participation at the Korea Import Fair (KIF) 2025, to be held from 7 to 9 July 2025 at COEX, Seoul. Organised by the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA). KIF is one of Korea’s key import-focused exhibitions. Malaysia’s participation in this prominent event underscores a strategic effort to deepen trade engagement with South Korea, expand export opportunities, and strengthen the nation’s presence in the Northeast Asian market.

Collaborating with the Korea-Africa Foundation, KOIMA hosts the event annually, since its inception in 2003. Malaysia’s participation in KIF 2025 is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between MATRADE and KOIMA on 1 December 2024, during the official visit of YAB Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Korea, reflecting both nations’ shared commitment to enhance bilateral trade cooperation.

“By joining KIF 2025, we are putting the MoU into action, creating real opportunities for Malaysian exporters to tap into the Korean market. We view this as a strategic step in strengthening ties with one of Malaysia’s key trading partners,” said Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE.

12 Malaysian companies and one government agency will be featured at KIF 2025, under the Malaysia Pavilion organised by MATRADE, showcasing Malaysia’s capability in lifestyle products, ICT, professional business services as well as food and beverages. Notably, the Malaysia Pavilion will be the largest national pavilion at this year’s KIF, surpassing several prominent ASEAN countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, demonstrating Malaysia’s strong commitment to expanding its trade footprint and enhancing visibility in the Korean market.

To maximise the impact from participation, MATRADE will implement a series of promotional activities throughout the event. These include targeted business matching sessions with Korean buyers, digital marketing and social media campaigns, live streaming sessions with Korean Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and strategic media engagement initiatives aimed at generating business interest and enhancing brand awareness among Korean audiences.

Datuk Mohd Mustafa expresses his hope for the event to open up valuable opportunities for all participating Malaysian companies to expand their export footprint in Korea. “I also look forward to Malaysia’s continued presence in this important platform in the years ahead,” he added.

Through KIF 2025, MATRADE aims to forge stronger commercial partnerships, reinforcing Malaysia’s role as a competitive and trusted trading partner in the region. Malaysia’s presence in KIF 2025 does not only strengthen bilateral trade ties but also signals the beginning of a closer economic cooperation ahead of the anticipated signing of the Malaysia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will further enhance trade collaboration and improve market access for both countries.