30th World Korean Business Convention Opens in Shenzhen on 8 October — Expanded into a Korea-China Trade Expo

World-OKTA (the World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations) will hold its 30th World Korean Business Convention together with the “2026 KOREA BUSINESS EXPO SHENZHEN” at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from 8 to 11 October. The event is planned for 750 exhibiting companies and some 6,000 visitors, expanding what had been an export consultation programme into a full Korea-China trade exchange expo.

By the Editorial Desk

For Korean companies doing business in China, the largest business gathering of this autumn will take place in Shenzhen. In an op-ed published in the Korea Economic Daily (Hankyung) on 18 August, World-OKTA Chairman Park Jong-beom announced that the 30th World Korean Business Convention and the “2026 KOREA BUSINESS EXPO SHENZHEN” will be held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from 8 to 11 October.

The World Korean Business Convention is one of World-OKTA’s two flagship annual events, alongside the World Korean Representatives Convention. Export consultation sessions have traditionally been its centrepiece; this year in Shenzhen that programme is being expanded into a “Korea-China Economic and Trade Exchange Expo.” According to the organisers, the focus is not on exhibition alone but on connecting Shenzhen’s advanced-industry ecosystem with competitive Korean consumer goods to produce actual contracts and transactions.

Partnering with the Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce

The Chinese partner for the convention is the Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce (深圳市商业联合会), a private-sector business body whose roughly 4,000 large and small member companies include global Chinese firms such as Huawei, Tencent, BYD and TCL.

According to World Korean News, the two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding in Shenzhen on 1 June, agreeing to jointly promote the Korea-China Economic and Trade Exchange Expo at the October convention. Areas of cooperation include recruiting exhibiting companies, connecting buyers with local corporate networks, and supporting event promotion and operations. Chairman Park Jong-beom and Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce Chairman Lin Hui attended the signing.

Ahead of that, Park visited the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce and its investment promotion agency on 23 April to request support for the convention. The meeting was attended by Shenzhen officials in charge of exhibition management and general affairs, the chief representative of Shenzhen’s economic and trade office in Korea, World-OKTA headquarters staff, South China regional chapter president Lee Dae-hong and Shenzhen chapter president Choi Chul.

What will be on site

Alongside export consultation sessions, the venue will host a Global Advanced Industry Forum and a Korea-China Economic Forum. The exhibition will be organised into themed pavilions by consumer goods sector — beauty, food and fashion — with a dedicated focus on mobility and artificial intelligence companies.

One notable element is the blended online-offline format. Organisers plan to run live commerce sessions with local influencers alongside product experience zones, presenting a combined B2B and B2C model that links companies directly with consumers. The design reflects the reality that live commerce has become an all but essential distribution channel in China’s consumer goods market.

For regional Korean companies, the convention will operate a “Local to Local (L2L) Business Lounge.” Regional firms with strong overseas potential will be selected and connected with local buyers, distribution channels and investors, with support running from market validation through retail entry to contract negotiation — the stated aim being to ensure companies leave with follow-up deals rather than consultations alone.

About World-OKTA

World-OKTA was founded in 1981 and marks its 45th anniversary this year. It operates chapters in 157 cities across 76 countries, with 7,000 full members and a base of 30,000 young global talents. The organisation holds expos each April and October to help Korean SMEs open overseas sales channels.

Past results cited in the op-ed include: at the October 2024 event in Vienna, Austria, the Korean SME G&T signed an electric vehicle converter export contract worth roughly 460 billion won with Germany’s PRETTL Group; at the April 2025 event in Andong, PNT signed a secondary battery equipment export contract worth about 120 billion won with China’s DR GLOBAL; at the October 2025 event in Incheon, Skinlovers concluded a cosmetics export contract worth about 1.4 billion won with a UAE company; and at this March’s event, memoranda of understanding worth roughly 240 billion won were signed with participating companies.

What Korean businesses in Tianjin and North China should watch

How useful the convention proves depends on where a company sits in the value chain.

First, companies that distribute Korean products in China can approach it as buyers or distribution partners. With roughly 750 Korean SMEs gathered in one place, it is an efficient venue for finding new sourcing partners or previewing new products from existing suppliers. Beauty, food and fashion have dedicated pavilions.

Second, companies engaged in manufacturing or components work inside China may find their entry point in the Global Advanced Industry Forum and the mobility and AI exhibits. Shenzhen concentrates electronics and mobility supply chains that are otherwise costly for North China-based firms to access.

Third, for World-OKTA member companies, the gathering of 1,500 members is itself the draw. The South China regional chapter and the Shenzhen chapter are handling operations, so inquiring through the local chapter is the fastest route.

That said, the information released so far comes from the organisers’ announcements and the chairman’s op-ed. Practical details — how to register, participation fees, deadlines, and the buyer consultation application process — have not yet been confirmed. Companies considering attendance should verify directly with World-OKTA headquarters or its chapters in China (South China regional chapter, Shenzhen chapter). This magazine will follow up as detailed schedules and registration information are released.

※ This article was produced as an automated draft based on reporting by Hankyung (18 Aug 2026) and World Korean News (4 Jun 2026). Editorial review is required before publication.