Opening Ceremony Held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul
Chairman Kim Yoon: "We Will Continue to Strengthen Mutual Cooperation"
Chairman Yutaka Aso: "Synergy Is Created When We Work Together"
New Korea-Japan Partnership Joint Statement Also Adopted
Kim Yoon, chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association and chairman of Samyang Holdings, stated at the opening ceremony of the "57th Korea-Japan Business Meeting" held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on the 27th, "Strengthening economic cooperation between Korea and Japan is not a choice but an essential task for survival," adding, "Business leaders from both countries will continue to reinforce mutual cooperation regardless of any political changes."
On the 27th, the "57th Korea-Japan Business Meeting" opened at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. The meeting will continue until the 28th. The photo shows Jin-sik Yoon, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, delivering the keynote speech. Photo by Hyungmin Kim
On this day, Korean and Japanese business leaders gathered in Seoul to seek new ways of economic cooperation for the future, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea-Japan Economic Association co-hosted the Korea-Japan Business Meeting together with the Japan-Korea Economic Association and the Japan-Korea Industrial Technology Cooperation Foundation. Under the theme "60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Diplomatic Normalization: Broader and Deeper Korea-Japan Cooperation," the meeting will continue until the 28th and is attended by about 300 participants, including business figures and government officials from both countries.
Kim, who is leading the Korean delegation, emphasized, "Both Korea and Japan urgently need to appropriately respond to the instability of global raw material supply chains and the global tariff war." He also stated, "Not only in our key industries such as semiconductors, automobiles, steel, and chemicals, but also in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), IT, and pharmaceuticals, fair competition and cooperation are desperately needed." Yutaka Aso, vice chairman of the Japan-Korea Economic Association and chairman of Aso Cement, who is leading the Japanese delegation, also remarked, "The more challenging the surrounding and global situation becomes for both Korea and Japan, the more necessary cooperation between the two countries is to overcome these difficulties." He further noted, "Japan and Korea share many common challenges, and by complementing each other through partnerships, synergy can be created." He added, "Business leaders from both countries have already achieved various results on the global stage through joint cooperation, and this should be further expanded."
On the first day, keynote speeches were delivered by Jin-sik Yoon, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, representing Korea, and Koji Akiyoshi, chairman of Asahi Group Holdings, representing Japan. On the second day, business leaders from both countries will give presentations on cooperation plans in various industries such as hydrogen, tourism, bio-healthcare, and startups, as well as on building a new Korea-Japan partnership.
This year, in particular, a new Korea-Japan partnership joint statement will be adopted to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization. The organizers stated, "Business leaders from both countries will look back on the path of growth and development they have shared through cooperation in various fields such as the economy, culture, and human exchanges, despite numerous difficulties. Looking ahead to the next 60 years, they will seek concrete cooperation plans for future generations."
On the Korean side, about 200 participants attended, including delegation leader Kim Yoon; Chung In-kyo, Deputy Minister for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Jin-sik Yoon, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association; Kim Dongwook, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Company; Park Seunghee, president of Samsung Electronics; Shin Dongbin, chairman of Lotte Group; Lee Hwiryung, vice chairman of SeAH Steel; Cho Hyunjoon, chairman of Hyosung Group; Jin Okdong, chairman of Shinhan Financial Group; Choi Yoon, chairman of OK Financial Group; Kim Jongseo, president of Hanwha Ocean; and Lee Jutae, president of POSCO Holdings.
On the Japanese side, about 70 participants attended, including Vice Chairman Aso and incoming chairman Koji of the Japan-Korea Economic Association; Koichi Mizushima, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Korea; Katsuhiro Ueda, chairman of Ogaki Seiko; Haruhiro Imizu, president of Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun; Masaharu Naruse, chairman of Hotel Okura Tokyo; and Tomohiro Kataoka, president of Toray International.
The Korea-Japan Business Meeting is a representative private economic meeting between Korea and Japan. After the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1965, it was agreed in 1969 to hold this meeting annually to discuss economic cooperation. Since the first meeting in 1969, it has never been interrupted, even during political conflicts or the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been held alternately in both countries every year, contributing to economic growth and mutual development.
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