President Lee has embarked on full-scale Korean food diplomacy... Which company will inherit the ”Bruda myth”? = South Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung appeared on the variety show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju at the end of last month.
With emphasis on cultural diplomacy to spread K-food to the world, FG, a young company that operates Buchang Confectionery, which was selected as the official dessert of APEC, is at the forefront of K-food diplomacy.
On the 7th, President Lee said on the show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" that was aired the previous day, "K-POP and TV series are important, but the real core of culture is food," and called for "more import of K-food."
"I think we need to present it," he said. Such a statement was made ahead of the APEC summit, the largest multilateral diplomatic event since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and is aimed at globalizing K-food.
It is expected to be an opportunity to showcase Korean food and companies at a gathering of leaders from 21 countries, including the United States and China.
In particular, the recent global success of the K-pop themed anime "K-POP Girls! Demon Hunters" has fueled a craze for K-content.
With the spread of Korean food to the distribution and consumer goods markets, K-food is entering a new golden age.
Selected as Korea's official dessert brand, Buchang Confectionery is promoting K-food desserts globally.
BuChang Confectionery is a brand that reinterprets the Gyeongju region confectionery shop of the 1960s in a modern style, and has sold over 100 million units in the six months since its launch.
During the APEC summit, 21 heads of state and over 30,000 global leaders will be enjoying this dessert.
In Korea, following Busan, Daejeon, and other locations, the ninth store of "Fuchang Confectionery" opened at Lotte World Mall in Seoul on the 2nd of this month, strengthening the brand's position.
The 10th store is scheduled to open in Gyeongju, the birthplace of Bucheon Confectionery, and FG plans to design this store as a symbolic store representing the region, like the Sacred Heart Temple of Gyeongju, and to promote the brand.
The plan is to present the space as a representation of the brand's identity. Ahead of the APEC summit, Fuchang Confectionery has partnered with convenience store chain Seven-Eleven to launch the "K Traditional Food" campaign from the 15th of this month.
Through this collaboration, they will be releasing a lineup of products that blend tradition and modernity, including candied walnuts, milk and sun-dried salt bean buns, and mugwort butter bean buns.
The company plans to expand K-food so that it can be enjoyed in everyday life. FG aims to expand its brand philosophy of "dessert is culture" to the masses.
Lee Kyung-won, CEO of FG, which operates Buchang Confectionery, launched the "Smile Gyeongju" campaign with the slogan, "Let's smile at foreigners first."
The organization is also working to promote cultural diplomacy at the private sector level. Musical actor Kim Jun Su (Xia), entertainers Tak Jae Hoon and Narae Park, actor Lee Jang Woo, and designer Lee Sang Bo are among the artists who have participated.
Hundreds of celebrities, including Lee Seung-il, roboticist Dennis Hong, singer Kyu Hyun, and chef Lee Yong-bok, have volunteered to join the social media relay, spreading it into a nationwide campaign.
Following K-Dessert, FG is also launching its Korean shabu-shabu brand, Gangho Yeonpa, into the US market, launching its global restaurant business.
In February, the first store opened in Carrollton, Texas, USA, offering a local K-fusion menu including kimchi nacho bites, mochi with honey vinaigrette, and yuba bulgogi shabu-shabu.
FG aims to open 20 stores across the United States within the next three years, and is also preparing to expand into major cities such as New York and Los Angeles.
Recently, FG has been expanding into the field of K-lifestyle content through a premium wine project in collaboration with actress Kim Hee Sun.
The project was carried out in collaboration with the son of the founder of Caymus, a global wine group known for its 430 billion won sale.
Last year, FG collaborated with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) on the project "KBS Pop-Up Landing Operation" to introduce foreign brands to the Korean market.
" and has also been involved in the distribution of global brands. Through this project, we have been introducing overseas food and beverage brands to the Korean market and creating an "experience" that combines them with K-content.
The company showcased a "pop-up distribution model" and was praised as a new attempt to connect K-food with global cultural exchange. FG CEO Lee Kyung-won said, "We are working to spread K-desserts through BuChang Confectionery."
"By bringing K-shabu-shabu to the world stage through Jianghu Lianbo, we, as a young company, would like to contribute to the government's K-food diplomacy and spread the taste of the Republic of Korea," he said, adding, "We are a K-food company that will succeed Brudak stir-fried noodles."
"I want to stand proudly on the world stage as a representative of the next generation of the country."