By UN Journal Kayla Lee

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), and the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) announced that the five-day Korea Week (May 13–17) took off on May 13 at 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, starting with Korea Day.

Approximately 350 visitors attended the Korea Day event launched on May 13, including a total of 30 government officials and business leaders of both countries.

The Korea Day event consisted of a series of programs celebrating the history of Korea-Japan exchanges, kicking off with a reenactment of the Joseon Tongsinsa procession commemorating the port entry of the ship that carried diplomatic envoys from the Joseon Dynasty into Osaka.

The Joseon Tongsinsa was the Joseon Dynasty’s delegation for bilateral exchanges in the 17–19th century, and related archives have been jointly registered by the two countries on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2017.

The Korea-Japan government officials and business leaders also visited the Japan Pavilion and Korea Pavilion. With the theme “Between Lives,” the Japan Pavilion consists of a Plant Area, Farm Area, and Factory Area showcasing the utilization of Japan’s cutting-edge technology in waste decomposition, recycling, and circular economy.

The Korea Pavilion was themed “With Hearts,” expressing the harmony of advanced technology and culture through AI, hydrogen fuel cells, and K-Pop to illustrate environmental recovery and intergenerational connection. Since its opening on April 13, the Korea Pavilion has drawn a monthly average of roughly 350,000 visitors and is rated as one of the most popular national pavilions at the Expo.

Next, the government and business leaders attended major sideline events like the Korea Tourism Festa and K-Food Fair. A booth was also set up to promote top Korean products with the participation of 90 Korean firms and 160 Japanese buyer companies in the form of B2B and B2C marketing exhibition, displaying a wide range of cosmetics and daily necessities produced by Korean SMEs as well as IT home appliances and mobility products of Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, providing visitors the opportunity to use and experience the various products firsthand.

MOTIE Minister Ahn Duk-geun stated that global interest in the Korean lifestyle and culture is leading to preference for Korean products and technology, creating a virtuous cycle. He added that utmost efforts will be made to achieve synergy based on the Expo experience so that Korea’s strengths in these diverse areas can translate into competitiveness at the national level.

Held as the last official program, the Korea-Japan Friendship Dinner was attended by around 100 key figures of both countries to wish success for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo.