For Celebration of
Mighty Achievement

Reception held for former MOCIE officials, export industry people

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy(MOCIE) and the Korea Investment and Trade Promotion Agency(Kotra) held a reception for major players in the export industry who have made huge contributions to expanding the country's exports to over $300 billion for the first time this year.
Altogether some 150 attended the event including key persons in the export industry, award winners on Trade Day, leaders of export-related organizations and economic organizations, and past MOCIE officials in the export-related policies units.
Speakers at the event included MOCIE Minister Chung Sye-kyun, retired former export company executives, former MOCIE officials and others who recalled their days of hard work to expand exports and milestones they helped to set up; $10 billion in exports in 1977; $50 billion in 1988, $100 billion in 1995; $200 billion in 2004 and $300 billion in 2006.
Major figures that came to the event included Rep. Shin Kook-hwan, Kim Chul-soo, former MOCIE minister, former heads of the Korea Industrial Complex Corp.,
former Presidents of the Korea Export Insurance Corp., Chairman Shin Sun-ho of the Central City, Chairman Hong Wan-ki of the Hongjin Crown and Vice President Lee Hyung-do of the Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co.
MOCIE Minister Chung, in his commemorative speech, said our country has become the 11th country in the world to break $300 billion in exports. Major Korean export products including semiconductor, ships, autos and LCDs are battling in world market with products made by world-renowned companies, the minister said in the way of paying tribute to those who contributed hugely in expanding exports. He called on export business people and government officials and others related with the export industry to inherit the spirits of those who worked for exporting our goods during their days and strive hard to achieve $500 billion in exports and $1 trillion in trade.
Rep. Shin and Hongjin Crown Chairman Hong Wan-ki made speeches recalling their days working for exports,
especially difficulties that they had to overcome and congratulated the achievement of $300 billion in exports. Chairman Hong called for continuous government support for export firms to make advances into overseas markets for sustainable growth of exports in the years to come.
The list of major participants in the celebrative event included former MOCIE ministers such as Rep. Shin Kook-hwan, Kim Chul-soo, Lee Sun-ki and former MOCIE assistant minister Kim Hong-kyung, among others and heads of related organizations; Chairman of KICOX Kim Chil-doo, the vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kim Sang-yol, Vice Chairman Yoon Dong-sup of the Korea machinery Industry Promotion Association, Chairman Park Jong-hoe of the Bio Venture Association, President Kim Song-woong of the Korea Export Insurance Corp., Managing Director Koh Kwang-seok of the Korea International Trade Association, Chairman Kim Jun-chol of the Electricity Industry Promotion Association, and Chairman Cho Wan-kyu of the Bio Industry Association, among others.
Among the participants from the private export sector were Chairman of Central City Shin Sun-ho who won the gold medal for exports in 1977, Hongjin Crown Chairman Hong Wan-ki, the winner of the gold tower medal for export in 2000, Vice
Chairman Lee Hyung-do of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, who won the silver tower medal for exports in 1995, President Lee Young-kwon of the Toray-Saehan, the winner of the $300 million tower award in 2004, President Shin Young-joo of the Halla Climate Control and President Lee Jong-young of Seah Holdings, among others. nw

KOTRA CEO Hong Ki-hwa

Award winners are lined up at Trade Day reception Nov. 30 with President Hong Ki-hwa of KOTRA on first from right.
Dignitaries led by MOCIE Minister Chung Sye-kyun cut a congratulatory cake for achieving $300 billion in exports at a reception held in the evening of Nov. 30, at the Korea Investment and Trade Promotion Agency.