As K-EXPO France returned to Paris from June 16 to 18, the three-day event brought together music, literature, food, beauty and tourism to celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. Beyond the special recording of Inkigayo, the event offered a broader picture of how Korean culture continues to resonate with French audiences.
For three days, the Palais des Congrès de Paris became a meeting point for fans, creators and industry professionals as K-EXPO France 2026 unfolded across exhibition halls, conference rooms and concert stages. Returning to the French capital for another edition, the event gathered dozens of exhibitors and hosted cultural programs ranging from literary discussions to K-beauty demonstrations, culminating with SBS’s recording of Inkigayo concert in France on June 17. Yet beyond the performances and packed crowds, K-EXPO offered a snapshot of a Korean Wave that now extends far beyond music alone.
Exploring Korean Culture One Booth at a Time
Dozens of exhibitors spanning K-beauty, K-food, K-content and tourism transformed the exhibition floor into a lively showcase of Korean brands and institutions. Netflix, Korean Air, Creative MUT, the King Sejong Institute, KPIPA, Cheil, Cosway and HyperStar were among the companies and organizations welcoming visitors throughout the three-day event.
A stamp rally encouraged attendees to explore every corner of the venue, turning the exhibition into something closer to a treasure hunt than a traditional trade fair. Visitors sampled Korean snacks, tested cosmetics and gathered souvenirs while the central stage hosted K-beauty demonstrations, cooking sessions and random play dances that regularly attracted crowds of fans.
Among the busiest spaces was Netflix’s booth, which highlighted the global success of Korean productions, while Korean Air invited visitors to picture their next journey to Seoul through immersive displays. Nearby, Creative MUT offered a more creator-focused experience, shining a light on the growing ecosystem behind Korean content.
Stories Beyond the Hallyu Spotlight
Amid the excitement surrounding performances and merchandise, K-EXPO also made room for literature through a conversation with novelist Haam Yuni, author of the short story collection The Use of the Mother-of-Pearl Chests and the novel Guyuro.
Reflecting on the changing place of Korean culture in the world, the writer explained how the rise of Korean cinema, literature and K-pop had transformed her own perspective over the years. At the center of her collection lies the jagaejang, a traditional mother-of-pearl cabinet often found in Korean homes and historically given as a wedding gift.
For Haam Yuni, the cabinet itself became a metaphor for storytelling : a doorway capable of transporting readers elsewhere, without promising what awaits them on the other side.
The discussion later turned to Guyuro, which follows four young women pursuing their dreams as trainees in small K-pop agencies. Rather than focusing solely on the industry’s hardships, Haam Yuni said she wanted to portray the friendships and fleeting moments of joy that emerge through shared struggles, inspired in part by her own experiences alongside aspiring artists. The session concluded with a reading in Korean from a work yet to be translated into French, allowing audiences to experience her writing in its original rhythm.
A Moment with 82MAJOR
The first day of K-EXPO concluded on a more intimate note with a fan meeting featuring 82MAJOR. Selected fans had the opportunity to interact directly with the members through fansigns and conversations, experiencing one of the defining aspects of K-pop culture: proximity.
For many attendees, these face-to-face encounters became some of the most memorable moments of the event, offering something that no stage performance can fully replicate. More personal than spectacular, the fan meeting highlighted the close relationship between artists and fans that lies at the heart of K-pop fandom.
When Diplomacy Meets Pop Music
The event’s biggest crowd gathered on June 17 as SBS recorded a special Paris edition of Inkigayo.
The evening opened with remarks from a representative of the French Ministry of Culture and South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Choi Hwi-young, underscoring the symbolic importance of the concert within the celebrations of 140 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The lineup brought together artists representing different generations and styles of Korean music: 82MAJOR, Hearts2Hearts, MONSTA X, NCT WISH, Stella Jang and TAEMIN. From veteran performers to rising groups, the program reflected the diversity of today’s Korean music scene.
Throughout the evening, blue, white and red lightsticks illuminated the venue; colors shared by both the French and South Korean flags, creating an unintentional but fitting image for a concert built around cultural exchange. Beyond the performances themselves, the atmosphere felt less like a traditional overseas K-pop show and more like a celebration of the ties connecting audiences in both countries.
As France and Korea celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations, K-EXPO offered more than a showcase of trends or industries. It illustrated how cultural exchange is increasingly shaped by shared experiences whether through a novel, a favorite dish, or thousands of fans singing along to the same songs in the heart of Paris.
Thank you to K-EXPO FRANCE for the invitation.