The 15th Busan Coffee Show 2025 took place in Busan, Republic of Korea, from June 25 to 28. This is one of the largest coffee events in Republic of Korea, gathering hundreds of international coffee brands.
Viet Nam’s participation in this exhibition was supported by the Viet Nam Trade Office in Republic of Korea, bringing a group of four specialty coffee booths to directly showcase and engage with Korean consumers.
Participating organisations included the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, the Dak Lak September 2nd Import-Export One Member Limited Liability Company (Simexco Daklak), and the MISS EDE brand. The Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association showcased the Top 10 specialty Robusta samples from the Viet Nam Amazing Cup 2025 competition. Simexco Daklak introduced their green bean Fine Robusta lines from Dak Lak. MISS EDE presented its ready-to-drink roasted coffee product named MISS EDE Viet Nam Robusta, which is officially imported and now distributed on Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, Coupang.
Present at the exhibition, Hoang Danh Huu, Founder of the MISS EDE brand, said that the cupping activity at the booth, featuring award-winning samples from the Viet Nam Amazing Cup 2025, drew the interest of many local roasters and consumers. The emergence of Vietnamese Robusta in a traditionally Arabica-favouring market like Korea is raising much intrigue.
For many years, the Korean market has used Arabica almost exclusively in machine-brewed and convenient coffee lines. Consumers are accustomed to a light body, mild acidity, and fruity aroma. However, Vietnamese Fine Robusta, with its rich flavour, thick body, sweet aftertaste, and specialty fermentation techniques, offers a novel but easily appreciated experience.
Jongmoo Park (Smith Park), Representative of MISS EDE in Korea, shared: “Koreans have long preferred 100% Arabica. But when producers from Dak Lak, Viet Nam, brought over samples of specialty fermented Robusta, both roasters and consumers were amazed. On the very first day of the exhibition, we sold over 300 packs of MISS EDE Viet Nam Robusta coffee. At the same time, many Korean companies expressed interest in distributing the product domestically.”
Hoang Danh Huu, Founder of the MISS EDE brand, noted: “We are not here in Korea to change consumers’ tastes, but to offer a new option, an authentic Vietnamese coffee experience, rich in identity and crafted to global standards. While specialty Robusta from Dak Lak may still be unfamiliar, we believe in its quality. Our product has already been officially imported and distributed in the United States, Singapore, and here in Korea. MISS EDE is pursuing a long-term, sustainable path, so investment in quality, transparency of origin, and farmer community engagement remain our top priorities.”
Within the exhibition framework, Le Duc Huy, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Coffee-Cocoa Association, Vice Chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, and Chairman of Simexco Daklak, shared insights into the journey of asserting Vietnamese coffee’s position on the global stage: “We hope this event will serve as a strong launchpad for introducing Vietnamese specialty coffee to the Korean market, which is seen as a trend-setting hub for young consumers in Asia. Korea has a free trade agreement with Viet Nam, so expanding to a tariff-free market is a key strategy for the sustainable growth of Viet Nam’s coffee industry. We welcome you to Viet Nam, to Dak Lak, and invite you to savour the finest specialty Robusta in the world.”
The participation of Dak Lak’s enterprises in the 15th Busan Coffee Show 2025 was not only an opportunity to showcase their products, but also a testament to the global potential of Vietnamese coffee on the world map.
