South Korean consumer-goods companies have signed export contracts and agreements worth $18 million at an expo in Melbourne, in what organisers describe as a breakthrough for Korean brands in the Australian market.

The deals were struck at the 2026 Melbourne Korean Wave Expo and the Australia K-Food Fair, held from 5 to 7 November at the Melbourne Showgrounds. South Korea's trade and agriculture ministries announced the result on Sunday, 8 November.

A total of 101 Korean companies took part, meeting 144 buyers from Oceania and Southeast Asia across 1,235 export consultations. Those meetings produced 32 contracts and memorandums of understanding worth $18 million, according to the ministries.

The event, also known as the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo, pairs Korean pop culture performances with trade meetings for small and medium-sized firms. First held in 2010, this was its 28th edition and the first staged in Oceania. It was organised by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation.

Cosmetics led the interest. KOTRA figures cited in the reporting show Korean skincare imports into Australia rising from $73 million in 2023 to $112 million in 2024, reaching $166 million last year. Cosmetics maker Kolmar Korea said it held about 150 consultations with six client brands at the expo, worth an estimated 6.8 billion won.

Retailers also used the expo to test the market. Hyundai Department Store ran a pavilion showcasing 13 Korean beauty and fashion brands, while other participants spanned food, household goods and fashion. The ministries said the expo was designed to turn enthusiasm for Korean culture into lasting export channels for smaller Korean firms.