Celebration of 21st Textile Day

Ceremony more significant as the industry achieves $10 bln in exports

Vice Minister Oh Young-ho of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said he appreciated the hard work from everyone in the textile industry to reform the industry's structure amid a sluggish economy caused by high oil prices, among the many factors.
During a speech at the ceremony celebrating the 21st Textile Day held at the Textile Center in southern Seoul, The vice MOCIE minister said he would like to see the textile industry step up its efforts to explore foreign markets for its products developed with new technologies. The industry should also continue with structural reforms that will enable it to make its second jump in growth.
Some 500 people including leaders of the industry and government officials attended the ceremony, which was more significant than in other years because the textile industry has reversed the sluggish trends in exports for the first time in 7 years with more than $10 billion this year.
Chairman Kyong Se-ho of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries and other industry leaders said the Free Trade Agreement with the United States will benefit the textile industry, with the maximum benefits expected to give the industry a chance for resurgence. They adopted a resolution to make the Korean textile industry the strongest among the world textile industries at the ceremony.
Executive Vice Chairman Ha Myieng-keun of KOFOTI and textile industry leaders agreed that the industry would have to diversify their products through cooperation among different textile streams in areas such as raw threads, thread processing, textile products, dye and clothing in order to develop first-class textile products, as it is the only way to enhance the industry's competitive edge.
Related events in celebration of Textile Day included the exhibition of products produced by South Korean firms with plants inside the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in Gaeseong, North Korea, and a session on changes and the future of the inter-Korean economic exchange. KOFOTI also presented the current status of investment in
the textile industry in Uzbekistan and the current outlook of China's textile market as well as the status of foreign textile products being marketed in China.
The textile federation also staged an event for textile designers during which the top designer given an award.
The federation also sponsored a workshop on ways to pick out the strategic material in the textile industry to help boost inter-Korean economic cooperation.
Several textile material designs from the textile design competition were also displayed.
A reception was held on Nov. 8 with government leaders, heads of textile organizations and award winners and their families in attendance.
Chairman Park Yong-gwan of the Songan Co. won the Industrial Merit Gold Medal in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the development of the textile industry. President Choi Soon-hwan of Greenjoy Co. won the Industrial Citation for his achievements in developing the company's own brands. President Kim Sun-il of Sun Trading Co. and President Lee Ui-yol of Dukwoo Industry Co. both won the Presidential Citation for having been model managers.
Three heads of textile firms including President Kim Ju-seop of Buseung Textile Co. won the Prime Minister's Citation for having been model managers.
In the meantime, the 25th Korea Fashion Competition took place at SETEC in Seoul on Nov. 13 in which some 1,500 people led by Deputy Minister Kim Yong-keun of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy attended.
The participants included 30 aspiring fashion designers selected from around the country. Of these, 12 top designers will be selected with the top winner awarded the Presidential Award and the second place winner given the Prime Minister's Award and the MOCIE Minister's Award for the third-place winner.
KOFOTI was established in May 1967 to accelerate the modernization of the textile industry and to reinforce the international competitiveness of Korea's textile products in order to contribute to the growth of the national economy as well as to the long-term development of the Korean textile industry.
Under this mission, KOFOTI is conducting a wide variety of activities as the primary agency for the development of the Korean textile industry in the 21st century. The federation is determined to do its best in the future to maintain itself as a knowledge base and prime mover for the industry and a mainstay of the national economy. nw

( from left photo) KOFOTI Executive Vice Chairman Ha Myieng-keun. Vice MOCIE Minister Oh Young-ho delivers a speech during the 21st Textile Day anniversary. Vice MOCIE Minister Oh Young-ho.