Visit to Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia
Business Exchange, Institutional Agreements, and Local Promotion
Yangsan City in South Gyeongsang Province announced that the 2025 Eastern Europe Economic Exchange Delegation, dispatched to diversify export markets and strengthen the global competitiveness of local companies, returned to Korea on July 1 after completing a nine-day, seven-night schedule.
This delegation, jointly organized by Yangsan City and the Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was comprised of 14 local small and medium-sized enterprises. The group visited three Eastern European countries?Czech Republic (Prague), Austria (Vienna), and Slovakia?sequentially, engaging in exchange activities with local relevant organizations, major production bases, and business support institutions.
The delegation visited the Nexen Tire and KISWIRE plants, which have entered the Czech market, to learn about their business operations and share strategies for securing production bases and expanding global networks. They also signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Prague Chapter of the World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations and the Association of Korean Scientists and Engineers in Austria, thereby solidifying the foundation for future technology exchange and market development cooperation.
They visited the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, the largest manufacturing hub in Europe, to tour its state-of-the-art automation facilities and eco-friendly production systems. The delegation also held a meeting with Park Jongbum, Chairman of Youngsan Glonet (22nd President of World-OKTA), a company with a network spanning across Europe, to receive practical advice on strategies for global expansion, the importance of localization, and business culture and operational know-how in the European market.
At a local market briefing attended by the KOTRA Prague and Vienna Trade Office Directors, in-depth information was provided on each country's industrial and trade environment and promising sectors for entry. Participating companies shared realistic strategies and challenges for entering the European market.
Additionally, during a meeting with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Czech Republic, opinions were exchanged regarding the difficulties faced by Korean companies operating locally and the government support systems available.
An official dinner was also held, inviting representatives from local Korean business organizations and Korean business support institutions, to promote the "2026 Visit Yangsan Year" campaign and introduce Yangsan City's industrial and cultural resources. The event highlighted Yangsan's status as a competitive city where business and tourism coexist, and conveyed the city's commitment to ongoing exchange and cooperation with European institutions and companies in the future.
This delegation is being evaluated as having provided practical assistance to local companies in enhancing their global market response capabilities by directly confirming the characteristics of Eastern Europe's manufacturing powerhouses, such as low production costs, stable institutional environments, and access to the EU market.
Mayor Na Dongyeon stated, "Rather than focusing on short-term export results, this delegation has served as an opportunity to broaden the foundation for cooperation with local European institutions and to further strengthen the global competitiveness of Yangsan companies." He added, "We will continue to provide practical support so that our companies can achieve sustainable results in overseas markets."
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