Jointly Hosted by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Busan Expo Bid Committee
Held for the First Time in 5 Years Due to COVID-19 Impact
Over 500 Global Political and Business Leaders Attend
On the 18th (local time), at the 'Korea Night' event held at the Ameron Hotel in Davos, Switzerland, Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group (second from the left), Jung Ki-sun, President of HD Hyundai, and Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, are having a conversation. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Co-Chairman of the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Committee, along with domestic political and business figures, held 'Korea Night' on the 18th (local time) at the Ameron Hotel in Davos, Switzerland.
This year's 'Korea Night' was jointly prepared by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the private committee supporting the Busan Expo bid to convey Korea's determination to host the Expo to global political and business leaders and to promote Busan, the candidate city, by pooling national capabilities.
About 500 domestic and international political and business figures attended the event held for participants of the Davos Forum, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se, and Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City Park Hyung-joon.
Business leaders representing the Korean economy also attended, including Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company; Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG; Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte; Choi Jae-won, Senior Vice Chairman of SK; Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha; Huh Tae-soo, Chairman of GS; Chung Ki-sun, CEO of HD Hyundai; Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of CJ; and Kim Young-hoon, Chairman of Daesung.
Global heavyweight figures also visited 'Korea Night.' Overseas attendees included Klaus Schwab, Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF); Chuck Robbins, Chairman of Cisco; Arthur G. Sulzberger, Chairman of The New York Times; Dylan Taylor, Chairman of Voyager Space; Anish Shah, CEO of Mahindra Group; Anthony Tan, CEO of Grab; Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel; and Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey.
The event also drew attention for its Korean-flavored food and style. Korean dishes such as grilled short rib skewers, braised beef ribs, fried chicken, and bibimbap were prepared as finger foods suitable for foreign guests. The dinner also featured Omiroje Yeon, a sparkling wine made from domestically produced omija berries, and traditional alcoholic beverages such as Makgeolli.
Woo Tae-hee, Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “We hope this year's 'Korea Night' will be a tipping point where the determination to host the Expo is conveyed worldwide and support for Korea expands,” adding, “The Chamber will support Korean companies in turning the needs identified during the bidding process from countries around the world into new business opportunities.”
Meanwhile, 'Korea Night' is an occasion held during the Davos Forum, where global political and business leaders gather to promote Korea and Korean culture and to network with Korean businesspeople. Since its inception by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018 to wish for the success of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the event had not been held for the past five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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