2026 WABA Korea Expo & Festival Builds a Growing Platform for Korean Business and Culture
The 2026 WABA Korea Expo & Festival, hosted by the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Washington State (KACCWA), successfully brought Korean business, products, food, and culture to the heart of Seattle’s waterfront from August 14–16 at Pier 62. Featuring 32 vendor booths, the three-day festival showcased a diverse range of K-Food, K-Beauty, merchandise, lifestyle products, and cultural experiences, providing participating businesses with a valuable opportunity to introduce their brands and products directly to the greater Seattle community and visitors.
Located at one of Seattle’s premier waterfront destinations, where summer foot traffic exceeds 10,000 visitors per day, WABA provided a dynamic setting for Korean businesses and culture to connect with a broad and diverse audience. More than simply a festival, this year’s event marked another important step toward establishing WABA as a sustainable platform where Korean products, food, culture, entertainment, and business opportunities come together, while helping Korean businesses build connections and explore opportunities in the U.S. market.
Another meaningful milestone took place on August 16, when the Washington Minority Business Coalition (WMBC) held its historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing and ratification ceremony at Pier 62 as part of the WABA Korea Expo & Festival. The event was coordinated by KACCWA President David Oh and brought together leaders and representatives from seven business and community organizations across Washington State:
- The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)
- Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Washington State (KACCWA)
- Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce Seattle (TJCCS)
- Seattle and Tacoma Latino Chambers of Commerce
- African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest (ACCPNW)
- Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Seattle (TCCS)
- Greater Seattle Korean Association
The signing represented a shared commitment among these organizations to strengthen collaboration, expand economic opportunities, advocate for minority-owned businesses, and transform their partnership into meaningful programs and long-term support for entrepreneurs throughout Washington State.
The occasion was further highlighted by remarks from Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Víctor Hugo López Ortega, Head Consul of the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle, and Sung Gil Chang, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle. In recognition of this significant milestone, Governor Ferguson officially proclaimed August 16 as the Day of the Washington Minority Business Coalition.
The historic WMBC MOU added special meaning to this year’s WABA, demonstrating that the festival can serve not only as a showcase for Korean culture and products, but also as a platform for building lasting economic and community partnerships across Washington State’s diverse communities.
With successful vendor participation, strong exposure at Seattle’s waterfront, growing multicultural partnerships, and the historic WMBC milestone, the 2026 WABA Korea Expo & Festival demonstrated its potential to become an increasingly important bridge connecting Korea, Korean American businesses, Washington State’s diverse communities, and the broader U.S. market. The momentum created during these three days provides a strong foundation for WABA to continue growing as a signature Pacific Northwest platform for Korean products, food, culture, business, and community collaboration.
