'Overseas Mentor Group Program' launched to provide real-time local expertise
at 21 Global Business Centers in 14 countries
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency announced on July 6 that they will officially launch the 'Overseas Mentor Group Program,' which provides export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with know-how on U.S. customs response procedures, overseas expansion, and export market diversification through local experts.
The 'Overseas Mentor Group Program' is designed to allow domestic SMEs to utilize, in real time, the local networks of Global Business Centers (GBCs) that are established and operating in major trade hubs around the world. The mentor group is mainly composed of businesspeople and experts (such as customs brokers, lawyers, accountants), university professors, Korean associations, and institutions who are active at 21 GBCs.
The program will be conducted as webinars on a real-time online platform, allowing anyone to participate. To address topics that companies are curious about, pre-questions and requests for follow-up consultations will be accepted until two days before each webinar begins. After the session, one-on-one consultations will also be provided via Zoom.
The main lecture topics for the 'Overseas Mentor Group Program' are divided into four key areas: U.S. customs response and other overseas regulations and policies; buyer research strategies; overseas expansion; and country-specific strategic items. Detailed content will be determined by each GBC, taking into account global local trends and company needs.
The first lecture topics include: U.S. large-scale distribution channel entry strategies by Jung Seunghwa, CEO of Hitrons Solution INC; offline network-based K-beauty entry strategies by Kim Chiyoung, CEO of Collaboground; U.S. customs response and export clearance procedures by Yoo Junghak, U.S. customs broker and president of the Korean American Business Association of New York; and U.S. market entry and VC experience cases for K-Tech SMEs by Ahn Junwook, CEO of Lofly.
The 'Overseas Mentor Group Program' will be held a total of 21 times this year. In July, it will be conducted at the New York GBC, LA GBC, Riyadh GBC in Saudi Arabia, and Shenzhen GBC in China. Future schedules and detailed content will be released sequentially on the YouTube channel 'Global Business Center (GBC) Overseas Mentor Group.'
Lee Soonbae, Director General for Global Growth Policy, stated, "The biggest challenge for export SMEs is the lack of local market information. Especially this year, due to U.S. tariff policies, there is a high demand for customs information and the identification of alternative markets." He added, "I hope that companies will actively utilize the Overseas Mentor Group Program, which provides opportunities to meet experts who can deliver accurate local information in real time."
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