SUWON -- The 2023 K-wellness fair opened in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday, showcasing 140 exhibition booths by more than 30 government agencies and companies under the theme of "Promoting the health of the people and discovering related content."

The 2023 K-wellness fair spans three exhibition halls at the Suwon Convention Center, located 41 kilometers southeast of Seoul, showcasing government policies related to family and pregnancy, wellness and tourism content organized by local governments, and health promotion information. The event will continue through Sunday.

The fair brought together prominent experts, industry leaders, government officials and representatives of related organizations.

Among the government agencies present, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention participated, and their affiliated organizations also hosted booths and introduced their businesses to the public.

At the opening ceremony, CEO Choi Jin-young of The Korea Herald, a co-organizer of the event, delivered an opening speech, followed by a congratulatory address by Shin Hyun-young, a member of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly.

“We hope participants will have a healing and happy time at the fair over the weekend. We will further try to develop the fair so that it can eventually be an international expo,” Choi said.

Rep. Shin promised to “continue efforts by establishing an institutional foothold to improve the health of the people.”

Jo Yong-seok, policy advisor to the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Ko Jae-young, the spokesperson of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, attended the opening ceremony.

A visitor surnamed Kim, who experienced the home sauna for free at the K-Bodytech booth, said, "I enjoyed seeing and experiencing all the wellness products here.“

An official from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation said, “Countless participants took physical tests at this booth and consulted on how to improve their strength. I hope our projects and policies on improving physical strength can be shown to the public through this fair.”

Anyone can participate in the fair for free, and various gift events will be held during the three-day event.

The K-Agricultural and Fishing Villages fair also kicks off on the sidelines of the event., and will be held for the same period in the same location. The fair has chosen 300 booths from 80 government agencies and companies this year, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Rural Development Administration, and the Korea Forest Service in attendance.

Information will be provided regarding experiences and opportunities in agricultural and fishing villages. Participants can also enjoy traditional Korean food through the K-foods hall.