KOTRA CEO Yu Jeoung-yeol (fifth from left) poses for a picture with K-pop groups Kard (on Yu's left) and StayC, the ambassadors for the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo 2023, Frankfurt, at the appointment ceremony held at KOTRA headquarters in Seoul on Monday. (KOTRA)

K-pop groups StayC and Kard have been appointed as honorary ambassadors of the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo 2023, Frankfurt, set to take place at the end of this month.

The exhibition, jointly launched by several government ministries and state-run agencies, including the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, will kick off on June 29 and run for two days at Messe Frankfurt in Germany.

Kard and StayC members took part in an appointment ceremony Monday at KOTRA's headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

During the ceremony, KOTRA CEO Yu Jeong-yeol handed out the groups' certificates and noted that the appointment was made to help promote local companies and their products in Europe, while strengthening ties between South Korea and Germany.

"As a global group, we have always felt a great responsibility in promoting Korean culture, music and food, and we hope to take this opportunity to help spread them even more," said BM, Kard's leader.

StayC's Se-eun also said, "We are already excited to meet our German fans. As ambassadors, we will work hard to support the local firms on their foray overseas."

Kard, a co-ed quartet, debuted under DSP Media in 2017. The group has garnered a global following with its unique style and signature moombahton sounds. In May, it returned with its sixth EP "Icky," hitting the top of the iTunes top song charts in 12 countries, including Germany and Netherlands. The band will embark on its world tour next month.

Six-member group StayC has continued a chart-topping career since its debut in 2020. Carving out its own "teen fresh" pop genre niche in the local music scene, the girl group has unveiled a series of smash-hits. The band is currently gearing up for a comeback in August.

As honorary ambassadors of the Korean expo in Frankfurt, the two teams will perform at the opening ceremony on June 29 and roll out various promotional programs over the two-day expo.

Meanwhile, some 120 companies in the consumer goods and services sector and high-tech industries are set to participate in the upcoming trade fair. The government-hosted event will serve as a platform for the local firms to promote themselves and explore new sales channels in Germany and wider Europe.