Seoul, South Korea – November 22, 2025 – Panama’s specialty coffee once again took center stage in Asia as Dongwhwan Ku, South Korea’s newly crowned Barista Champion, won the national title this Saturday, November 22, using a Panamanian Geisha from Lamastus Family Estates. His victory grants him the honor of representing South Korea at the World Barista Championship, to be held for the first time in Latin America during World of Coffee Panama 2026, from October 23–25 at the Panama Convention Center.
This achievement took place during the Korea Café Show Seoul 2025, one of the most influential coffee industry events in Asia, where the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP) participated alongside top Panamanian coffee producers. The event provided an exceptional platform to promote Panama’s leadership in high-end specialty coffee and to extend invitations to the global community ahead of the historic World of Coffee edition next year.
Panamanian Geisha Continues to Inspire Champions
Dongwhwan Ku’s championship routine featured a Geisha variety cultivated in the highlands of Boquete by Lamastus Family Estates, recognized worldwide for producing some of the most award-winning coffees of the past decade. The Geisha’s vibrant florals, sweetness, and complexity impressed both judges and audiences, reaffirming Panama’s reputation as the origin behind some of the world’s most iconic competition coffees.
His win not only celebrates South Korea’s thriving specialty coffee culture but also underscores the global influence of Panamanian producers who continue to shape barista competitions around the world.
World of Coffee Panama 2026: A Global Stage for Excellence
During the Korea Café Show, SCAP continued promoting World of Coffee Panama 2026, marking the first time the event and the World Barista Championship will be hosted in Latin America. Organized through a strategic cooperation agreement between SCAP and the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), this landmark edition will welcome coffee professionals from Asia and around the world.
The event will feature:
Exhibition halls for global brands
Roaster Village
Cupping Rooms & sensory experiences
Innovation and sustainability programming
The World Barista Championship Panama 2026
South Korea’s champion, Dongwhwan Ku, will join the world’s best baristas on stage in Panama City, competing with coffees from origins across the globe—including, once again, the high-altitude terroirs of Panama.
An Invitation to the Asian Coffee Community
SCAP extends a warm invitation to media, roasters, café owners, baristas, and businesses across Asia to participate in World of Coffee Panama 2026. Booth reservations and sponsorship opportunities are currently open.
For more information on participation opportunities at World of Coffee Panama 2026, visit panama.worldofcoffee.org or please contact: wocsales@scap-panama.com
About the Specialty Coffee Association
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the largest global coffee trade association dedicated to making coffee better by fostering a global coffee community and supporting activities to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable endeavor for the entire value chain. Through collaboration and progressive approaches, it supports the industry through research, standards, education, and events. Working around the world, the SCA elevates worldwide standards, providing value and connectivity to the growing global community. Learn more on sca.coffee.org.
About Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP)
Founded in 1996 during a period of historically low global coffee prices, SCAP emerged when five pioneering producers from Boquete, Tierras Altas and Renacimiento joined forces to display the quality of Panamanian coffee. Today, SCAP has almost one hundred active members exporting award-winning specialty coffees to markets around the world. The association has played a critical role positioning Panama as a reference point for excellence and innovation in the coffee world.
About the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP)
Founded on May 17, 1915, the CCIAP is Panama’s leading private-sector organization, representing more than 1700 companies across fifteen economic sectors. Its mission is to promote, connect, and defend private enterprise for national well-being. The CCIAP works to drive commercial, industrial, agricultural, and service-sector development, and contributes to the analysis and solution of national economic and social challenges.