Korea's global startup festival returns to New York this October — and it starts in Seoul.
This October 12–18, KOOM WEEK takes over New York City. Last year's edition drew roughly 10,000 attendees and was covered by Korean media as a bid to build "Korea's own CES," bringing K-startups, investors, and global buyers into one week-long festival. This year, it returns bigger.
Before that, we're opening the runway in Seoul.
What is a KOOM RUNWAY?
KOOM RUNWAY is the official Seoul pre-event for KOOM WEEK NYC, organized by UKF (United Korean Founders) — a network of Korean founders building across borders. It's where promising K-consumer brands compete for a booth at KOOM WEEK t and where founders who have already entered the U.S. market share exactly how they did it.
This is not a corporate showcase. It's designed as a working session — a place to see Korea's startup ecosystem and its beauty and F&B industries up close, and to spend four hours in the same room as the founders, investors, and operators driving them.
■ Event Overview
Event: KOOM RUNWAY — Seoul to NYC
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 16:00–20:00
Venue: Kamee the Garden Gallery & Cafe (1F, 537 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — near Yeoksam Stn.)
Admission: 49,000 KRW → Free for GSSS members (see below)
Language: Korean with English-friendly networking
Register: https://event-us.kr/m/128524/57042
■ What You'll Take Away
Direct access to global business professionals
Korean startup founders, F&B and beauty industry leaders, VC investors, and U.S.–Korea cross-border attorneys — open networking throughout the evening, not a panel you watch from the back row.
Field-tested insight on entering the U.S.
- Saeju Jung, Chairman of UKF (CEO of Noom) — What KOOM is, and why New York, why now.
- Hyungseok Ha, CEO of MEMEBOX — The TikTok Shop playbook: how Nooni won, and how to design a hero product.
- Additional sessions on F&B market entry and building global brands on K-culture IP
Hands-on with the brands themselves
Around 15 selected K-beauty, K-food, and lifestyle brands preparing for the U.S. market will run booths. Try the products, talk to the people who made them, and take samples home. Refreshments and drinks are provided throughout.
■ Who This Is For
Whether you're building a company, investing, working in the industry, or simply want to understand how Korean brands are going global — you'll find something worth your evening. No prior connection to the ecosystem required.
■ Free Admission for the SkalePLUS & GSSS Community
We're offering complimentary admission to founders in the SkalePLUS and Global Seoul Startup Society community.
How to claim:
- 1. Go to https://event-us.kr/m/128524/57042
- 2. Enter the code GSSS at checkout
- 3. Admission drops from 49,000 KRW to free — refreshments and brand samples included
Seats are limited, so we'd recommend registering early.
■ Program Timeline
- 15:30–16:00 (30′) — Registration & Booths Open ①
- 16:00–17:00 (60′) — Sessions
- 17:00–17:40 (40′) — Intermission & Booths Open ②
- 17:40–18:30 (50′) — Sessions
- 18:30–20:00 (90′) — Networking & Booths Open ③
Booths are open for a total of 160 minutes across three windows — during registration, the intermission, and the closing networking hours. Drop by any of them and explore the booths at your own pace: try the products, talk directly with the founders behind them, and take samples home.
■ A Look at KOOM 2025
Watch the recap from last year's festival in New York: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwGkS4C9Bo
■ Get in Touch
Instagram: @koom_runway
Registration: https://event-us.kr/m/128524/57042
For four hours, the people building Korea's next global brands will all be in one room — and the door is open. We'd be glad to have you there.
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