Theme : “Growth and Happiness Created by Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas,”
Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea held Agri-expo Korea 2025, the largest agricultural exposition, at aT Centre in Seoul from 25 to 28 September.
Under the theme, “Growth and Happiness Created by Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas,” Agri-expo Korea 2025 showcased four themes-based pavilions. The four themes were
(a) agricultural innovation, (b) agriculture and life, (c) diverse charms of agriculture, and (d) rural communities full of vitality.
With the year 2025 marking the 7th anniversary of the agricultural exposition, the MAFRA has been holding the event every year since 2019 to expand the public’s awareness of diverse values and growth potential of agriculture and rural areas. The agricultural exposition presented visions for agriculture, such as (a) agriculture taking a leading role in making innovation as a national strategic industry, as well as (b) rural areas taking a leading role in a balanced national growth.
By driving national growth through innovation and technology, the four pavilions emphasized the importance of agriculture and rural areas in spearheading agriculture in the region and creating spaces that facilitate overall happiness and wellbeing.
The pavilion of agricultural innovation—which represented diverse booths for Korean agriculture innovation, R&D, the insect industry, and the pet industry—spotlighted agriculture as a key-growth industry. The pavilion examined agriculture’s growth potential, its role in driving national industry, and the progress being made toward the future of agriculture. The booth for Korean agriculture innovation exhibited examples of agricultural innovation, such as an agriculture satellite, an eco-friendlier hydrogen tractor, an air farm where crops are grown through a farming system of converting moisture in the air into water in real time, an AI-based sorting robot for fruits and vegetables, and a cooking robot.
The pavilion of agriculture and life—which consists of booths for agricultural crops of the year, food security, history and culture of agriculture, and agricultural and livestock products—explains agriculture’s functions and roles and their influence on people, as well as agriculture’s history and culture.
The pavilion of diverse charms of agriculture had booths for Korean foods, urban agriculture, the rural convergence industry, and floriculture. The booth for Korean “sool”—which means traditional Korean alcoholic drinks—introduced a variety of traditional Korean alcoholic drinks produced in different regions across the nation and the processes of making Korean “sool.” A lounge of Korean “sool” run by a young sommelier provided a programme for tasting traditional Korean alcoholic drinks, as well as a class for learning about pairing of foods and such drinks.
The pavilion for rural communities full of vitality introduced the government’s policies for turning rural areas into a sustainable space full of vitality and making agriculture sustainable in response to declining rural areas. As part of such policies, the pavilion presented a programme for workcation (a compound word of work and vacation). In addition, the pavilion showcased agricultural produce grown by young farmers. At a talk session by young entrepreneurs who have succeeded in their business in agriculture-related fields shared their experiences.
