Choi Tae-won and Chamber Leaders from Across the Country Join Delegation
Ahead of the APEC CEO Summit and Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce Presidents' Meeting
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on September 15 that it has dispatched a delegation to the "2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo," currently being held in Osaka, Japan, to reaffirm its commitment to economic cooperation with Japan.
This dispatch was organized in response to a request from the Japanese business community made during the 13th Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce Presidents' Meeting, which was held in Osaka in November last year.
The delegation includes Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Yang Jaesaeng, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Park Yunkyung, Chairman of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Kim Jindong, Chairman of the Sejong Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Park Kwangseok, Chairman of the Chungju Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Yoo Sangman, Chairman of the Seosan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Han Moonseon, Chairman of the Yeosu Chamber of Commerce and Industry; as well as Lee Hyunghui, Chairman of the Communications Committee of the SK SUPEX Council (Vice Chairman of the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry), among other chamber presidents from across the country.
The Osaka-Kansai Expo opened on April 13 and will run for six months. A representative from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated, "As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, and as both countries are seeking a new era of cooperation, we expect that attending this Expo will help us gain a broader perspective and deeper insight."
Cooperation between the business communities of both countries is expected to continue at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit to be held in Gyeongju in October. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to lay the foundation for a Korea-Japan economic community through the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju in October and the 14th Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce Presidents' Meeting in Jeju in December.
Bilateral trade volume between Korea and Japan has increased more than 350-fold, from $200 million in 1965 to $77.2 billion last year. However, the proportion of mutual trade has been steadily declining, prompting calls for a new momentum for cooperation.
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Korea and Japan are the closest neighbors, sharing values and interests, and are facing common challenges such as geopolitical crises, low growth, and low birth rates coupled with an aging population. The two countries should develop beyond simple economic cooperation into an economic community that creates strategic and structural synergy."
Yoon Chulmin, Head of the International Trade Division at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, "The upcoming APEC CEO Summit and Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce Presidents' Meeting are valuable opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. We will use these events to reinforce the perception among business leaders and the international community that Korea and Japan are partners who jointly propose and lead regional economic agendas, going beyond bilateral cooperation."
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