Kyung Chul Lee, President of the Korea Chamber of Commerce in the Americas
11 states and Korean local governments participated
Senator Andy Kim and others attended
Great success in distribution and overseas trade
Donated $200,000 to this year’s convention

◆Business Leaders◆

“This year’s World Korean Business Congress (WKBC) will be an economic exchange not only for businesses but also for Korean and U.S. local governments.”

This is what Lee Kyung-chul, President of the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KACI), said about the 23rd World Business Congress, which will be held April 17-20 in Atlanta, USA. The convention is organized by the Korea Economic Daily-MBN, the Korean Overseas Korean Association, the Korea Chamber of Commerce in the Americas, and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises.

“For the first time, we are holding a government-to-government (G2G) and business-to-government (B2G) forum this year,” Lee said in a recent interview with Maeil Business, ”and officials from 11 U.S. states, Korean local governments, and economic organizations are expected to attend.”

In the U.S., at least 11 states, including Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and New Jersey, will be represented by at least the secretary of commerce or chief economic officer. This is the first time a U.S. state government of this size has participated in the WKC.

“If Korean companies want to go overseas, they need to know the exact regulations, including laws and taxes, and approach it strategically,” Lee said.

Small Business Administration (SBA) nominee Kelly Leffler, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia, will also participate in the event. At least three U.S. senators – Andy Kim (N.J.), John Ossoff (Ga.), and Raphael Warnock (Ga.) – will also participate.

Lee recently emphasized that the time is right for Korean companies to enter the U.S. market. “There is such a high level of interest in Korean companies in the U.S. that attracting them has become an important state mission,” he said, ‘and in Georgia, one of the issues in next year’s U.S. Senate election is the candidates’ track record in attracting Korean companies.”

In fact, he said, he can actually feel the elevated status of the Korean Chamber in the United States. “We have 80 chapters across the U.S. and are recognized in each region,” Lee said, adding, ”Thanks to that, I can meet almost anyone in the U.S. as the president of the KCCA.”

“The history of the 80 Korean chambers of commerce in the United States is like the history of Korean immigration,” Lee said, adding, ”Based on the know-how we have accumulated in the United States, we will actively support outstanding Korean small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the United States through the World Chamber of Commerce.”

He served as president of the Atlanta Korean Chamber of Commerce and senior vice president of the Federation of American Chambers of Commerce in June 2023 before becoming the 29th president of the Federation. He traveled to South Korea six times for this year’s World Korean Business Congress and donated $200,000 to the organization.

Lee moved to the United States in his mid-20s and initially ran JK Trade, a food importer in Chicago, Illinois. He then settled in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996 and started Whale Enterprise, which mainly imports Korean alcoholic beverages, and currently runs Whale Enterprise LLC, a medical device trading company, and Global Woodstick, a wood processing company.

Mr. Lee was born in Daegu in 1964, immigrated to the U.S. in 1989, founded JK Trade in 1991, founded Whale Enterprise in 2002, founded Whale Enterprise LLC in 2016, president of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia in 2014-2015, president of the Southeast Region of the General Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce in 2017-2018, and president of the General Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce in 2023.

[Correspondent Yoon Wonseop Yoon in Atlanta]

Sources: Maeil Business

https://www.mk.co.kr/news/world/11242106