By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK) has appointed Gyusang Jeong as its new Secretary-General. The newly appointed Secretary-General, Mr. Jeong, got a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in the United States and has many years of experience in corporate research institutes, working on national research projects and product development. Mr. Jeong was recently involved in the Kenya-AIST (Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) construction project in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of an ODA (Official Development Assistance) initiative as a Senior Resear
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) and the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) co-hosted a special reception with Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on December 11 at Banyan Tree Club and Spa Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. This special reception was organized to assess recent developments in economic policy, foreign investment, and overall status of business environment for German, French and other European companies in Korea. This gathering comes on the heels of last week’s brief m
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, announced on Dec. 12 that it has received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in Australia for the clinical trial protocols of a Phase 1/2 trials for its mRNA-based Japanese encephalitis vaccine candidate, GBP560. SK bioscience is establishing its mRNA vaccine platform through the development of vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus as well as Lassa fever virus. The Japanese Encephalitis Virus (viral family: Fla
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group announced partnerships with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Dec. 3 to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification. The three institutes include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. The Hyundai Center of Excellence (CoE), which will be set up within IIT Delhi, will operate through sponsorships from Hyundai Motor Group. The primary objective of the Hyundai CoE is to take the lead in driving advancements in batteries and electrification, specifically designed to meet the unique require
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young South Korean bamboo salt master Choi Dong-soon has broken new ground in traditional bamboo salt making by introducing the world's first 5,000-degree high-temperature Hwangsong bamboo salt. The achievement is considered an artistic revolution in salt making, combining the perfect blend of bamboo and sea salt with innovative technology to contribute to human health. Tradition meets science, 5,000-degree Hwangsong Bamboo Salt Master Choi fuses the essence of bamboo salt-making tradition with modern technology to create 5,000-degree Hwangsong bamboo salt, which h
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) has been honored with the 2024 Korea Energy Award. Presented by the Korea Energy Agency, the award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. KGCCI's receipt of the award underscores its commitment to Climate Change Response and Greenhouse Gas Reduction through initiatives such as government policy development and implementation, public awareness campaigns, an
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo POSCO Group is advancing plans to build an integrated steel mill in India, a growing market with a population of 1.4 billion. On October 21, POSCO Group signed an MOU with JSW Group, India’s leading steel company, in Mumbai to collaborate on business ventures in the steel, secondary battery materials, and renewable energy sectors. Senior executives from both companies attended the signing ceremony, including POSCO Group Chairman In-hwa Chang and JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal.Under the MOU, POSCO Group and JSW Group will collaborate on various business opport
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK Plasma, led by CEO Kim Seung-joo, announced on Nov. 14 that it has signed investment agreements with the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) for the operation of its Indonesian joint venture, PT SKPLASMA CORE INDONESIA (SK Plasma Core). In October last year, SK Plasma signed a term sheet about direction of project and transaction with INA to establish a plasma fractionation plant in Indonesia. The signing ceremony of investment agreements was attended by Ahn Jaehyun, CEO of SK Chemicals and SK Plasma, Kim Seung-joo, President of SK Plasma, Roh Hyunho, CEO o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Belgian Tourist Office and InterparkTriple will jointly host the 'Winter Belgian Beer Festa 2024', where you can taste a variety of beers, including Christmas beers produced exclusively for the 2024 Christmas season. At the festival, visitors will be able to taste a total of 10 beers, including monastery beers and craft beers such as “Eau de Goût Boon,” “Sejong Dupont,” “Rochefort Triple Extra,” and “Valdu Grand Cru,” as well as Christmas beers that are not easily available in the market, and hear fun and professional talks about Belgian beer from beer expe
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon's 'semiconductor diplomacy' in the Netherlands has resulted in a 3 trillion won investment from ASM, a global semiconductor company. ASM will invest 3 trillion won in Gyeonggi-do by 2030, cooperating with local companies in purchasing components and providing job opportunities for university students in the province. Governor Kim Dong-yeon signed the 'Gyeonggi-do, Hwaseong City, and ASM MOU' at the ASM headquarters in Almere, the Netherlands, on Oct. 31. Governor Kim and Hwaseong City Mayor Jung Myung-geun were joined by ASM C
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics recently concluded the 2024 Global IT Challenge (GITC) for Youth with Disabilities in Manila, Philippines, reinforcing its commitment to empowering young people with disabilities. Held from November 3-8, this year’s GITC brought together 104 participants from 16 countries to compete in six innovative IT challenges. After advancing through national preliminary rounds, the finalists tested their abilities across diverse digital tasks. The challenges included eTool, which assessed participants’ ability to create presentation slides and manage spread
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) has published the 10th CSR Report of German Companies in Korea. This year’s CSR Report highlights a variety of CSR activities of German companies that actively engaged with and contributed to Korean society, the KGCCI said on Nov. 11. Launched in 2014, KGCCI CSR Reports have covered a wide range of CSR initiatives and achievements of German companies in Korea, which contribute to its local community and environment protection. This year’s report introduces you to t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) awarded Henkel Consumer Brands Korea, Medipixel Inc., Pebble-Square, and Petnow Inc. as innovators of the year at the ‘10th KGCCI Innovation Awards’ on November 8 at Banyan Tree Club and Spa Hotel in Seoul, Korea on Nov. 8, 2024. This milestone event, officially supported by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the KGCCI Innovation Awards, launched in 2015, are to support companies that create value in t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A group of former USFK commanders and South Korean military generals visited Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon Plant 3 on November 1 to tour the vibrant production lines of the company’s signature combat vehicles, including the K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) and K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV). The visit was organized by the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUASF). Among the participants were Retired Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, Chairman and President of KDVA; Retired Gen. Walter L. Sharp; Retired Gen. Robert B.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, announced on Oct. 23 that the world’s first quadrivalent cell-cultured influenza vaccine, SKYCellflu Quadrivalent prefilled syringe, has been approved by Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency, BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan). This marks the first time a domestically developed influenza vaccine has been licensed in Indonesia. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation with over 280 million people, boasts Southeast Asia’s largest e