Japanese foreign minister’s praise of Imunika Coffee at APEC goes viral

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s video posted on his X account on Oct. 30 showing himself drinking coffee sponsored for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
A video of Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi introducing a coffee brand that supplied the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit has gone viral.
 
Motegi said during a press conference the previous day that he was surprised by the response, according to the Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday. “I didn’t expect the video introducing the coffee to be viewed more than 4 million times,” he said.
 
“At international conferences, there are always refreshments like coffee and snacks,” Motegi uploaded a 24-second video to his X account last Thursday. “It was a brief but refreshing moment between busy meetings.”
 
In the video, Motegi stands smiling in front of a conference hall, holding a paper cup. Behind him are shelves lined with shopping bags bearing the logo of Imunika Coffee, this year’s official APEC coffee supplier. Pointing to the shelf, Motegi mentions the brand by name.
 
The coffee he introduced is produced by a Korean startup that was selected as the official supplier for the 2025 APEC summit. The company reportedly set up booths during the APEC Ministerial Meeting and other sessions to serve coffee to participating delegations.
 
“It’s said to be a famous brand from Korea,” Motegi says in the video after taking a sip. “It’s quite good.”
 
As of Wednesday, the clip had surpassed 4.2 million views and received around 64,000 likes, drawing an enthusiastic response online.
 
Last Friday, Motegi also posted a photo of himself attending the APEC welcome dinner, where K-pop star G-Dragon performed. “I attended the APEC leaders’ dinner — the meal was great, and so was the performance by Korean K-pop star G-Dragon,” he wrote, adding, “Korea is amazing.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]