Hadong County Opens "Hadong Tea Culture Center" in Manhattan, New York ... Seeks to Expand Overseas Sales Channels

Permanent promotional and experiential space established at TEO Nomad... introducing Hadong tea culture and products

About 30 attendees, including representatives of the Korean Cultural Center New York, aT and the food industry

More than 3 tons of powdered green tea exported, generating 267 million won... plans to expand local distribution network

Hadong County in South Gyeongsang Province has established a permanent space in Manhattan, New York, to promote Hadong tea and introduce tea culture to local consumers.

The county said on November 3 that it had held the opening ceremony for the New York Hadong Tea Culture Center on November 2 (local time) at TEO Nomad, located at 135 W 29th St in Manhattan, New York.

[Photo courtesy of Hadong County] Hadong County Governor Kim Hyunsoo and representatives of local organizations and institutions in New York cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the New York Hadong Tea Culture Center at TEO Nomad in Manhattan, New York (local time).

The newly opened Hadong Tea Culture Center was established to introduce local consumers to the history of Hadong tea, its traditional tea-making culture and a variety of tea products, and to serve as a promotional and sales hub for entering the U.S. market.

Attendees at the opening ceremony included a Hadong County delegation comprising Hadong County Governor Kim Hyunsoo, the chair of the Hadong County Council's Steering Committee, the head of the Hadong Tea & Bio Promotion Agency, and the CEO of Yeonwoo Jeda, as well as TEO Nomad CEO Shin Seungmi.

About 30 people also attended, including Lee Jungmi, director of the Korean Cultural Center New York; Yoon Mijeong, director at the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT); Kim Gwangseok, the 38th president of the Korean American Association of Greater New York; local institutional and organizational representatives; tea experts; food and beverage industry representatives; and local journalists.

The event began with a welcome reception featuring Hadong tea and refreshments. Attendees sampled Hadong tea brewed using traditional tea ceremony methods and heard about the region's tea culture.

The program continued with welcoming remarks by Shin Seungmi, CEO of TEO Nomad, and greetings from Governor Kim Hyunsoo, followed by the unveiling of the sign, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and commemorative photos.

In his remarks, Governor Kim introduced the history of tea cultivation in Hadong and the value of its traditional tea agriculture, which has been designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. He said he hoped the New York Hadong Tea Culture Center would serve as a hub for promoting Hadong tea overseas and expanding its market.

Before opening the center, Hadong County had gradually established local partnerships, developed products and conducted trial operations.

In April 2024, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a tea retail outlet in New York, followed by a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on mutual cooperation in March 2025.

In May 2025, the county invited a New York-based chef to the Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival to showcase desserts made with Hadong green tea. It also held an event at the Korean Cultural Center New York to introduce Hadong tea culture.

In July 2026, the county developed recipes for five blended teas, including Seomjingang Sunset Black Tea, and sent them to New York. In August, it held a trial operation event to gauge consumer reactions.

According to Hadong County, the Hadong Tea & Bio Promotion Agency has exported more than 3 metric tons of powdered green tea annually through TEO Nomad since 2025, generating total export sales of 267 million won. Separately, tea exports by businesses in Hadong totaled 9.4 million won.

With the opening of the center, the county plans to expand tastings and product sales for local consumers and seek new business partners among cafes, restaurants and distributors in the New York area.

It also plans to continue holding cultural events and promotional activities introducing Hadong tea in cooperation with the Korean Cultural Center New York and local Korean community organizations.

A Hadong County official said, "We will use the New York Hadong Tea Culture Center to introduce Hadong tea to local consumers and the food and beverage industry, and support related businesses in expanding their overseas sales channels."

Meanwhile, through the operation of the Hadong Tea Culture Center, the county plans to monitor local sales and export performance and continue exploring ways to expand distribution networks in the U.S. market.

For the New York Hadong Tea Culture Center to establish itself as a stable overseas sales channel, it will be necessary to continuously assess tangible export results, including operating costs, sales performance and the acquisition of new business partners.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.