The 23rd World Korean Business Convention Set to Take Place in Atlanta—Efforts Underway for a Successful Event
“Korean Companies Must Be Well-Prepared in Terms of Production Capacity and Financial Resources”

The 23rd World Korean Business Convention will be held in Atlanta, USA, from April 17 to 20. This marks the second time the convention is being held overseas. The first overseas event took place in October 2023 in Orange County, California. Both events have been organized and hosted by the Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA.
Given that the Atlanta event is being held just a year and a half after the Orange County convention, much of the preparation work has overlapped between the two.
World Korean News is featuring a special interview series introducing the key individuals who have been working diligently to prepare for this major event.
—Editor

(Seoul – World Korean News) Reporter Lee Jong-hwan

Kim Mi-kyung, Co-Chair of the Atlanta World Korean Business Convention, is, in many ways, the person who ignited the spark for this event.

She currently serves as the Head of the Global Business Division at the Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA, which has over 70 regional chapters across the U.S. She previously served as the president of the Fayetteville Korean American Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina. Kim also played a key role as a member of the organizing committee for the 21st World Korean Business Convention held in Orange County, contributing significantly to its success. In recognition of these efforts, she was awarded a Presidential Commendation on World Korean Day in October of last year.

When the Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA decided to launch its own Korean American Business Convention in the U.S., building on the experience from the Orange County event, Kim readily contributed $100,000 of her own funds to support the preparations. Thanks to that groundwork, the event was later elevated to become the official 23rd World Korean Business Convention with the approval of the Overseas Koreans Agency.

“The 21st World Korean Business Convention held in Orange County completely transformed the framework of the convention as it had been conducted over the past 20 years. The purpose of hosting the World Korean Business Convention is very clear. It is to provide guidance to Korean businesspeople around the world on how to help excellent products from Korean small and medium-sized enterprises successfully enter and expand in overseas markets.”

다음은 요청하신 내용의 영어 번역입니다:

Kim Mi-kyung, who is introduced in this manner, explained the difference between the previous Orange County convention and this year’s Atlanta convention, saying, “The major difference is in the selection of the convention chair.”

She noted that for previous World Korean Business Conventions, the chairpersons were typically successful Korean business leaders from around the world. However, for this year’s event, they invited Kim Ki-moon, the President of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (KOSME), to serve as the convention chair.

“Until now, the convention chairs have always been successful Korean business leaders from various parts of the world. This time, we invited President Kim Ki-moon of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business to be the chair. Some people might question why we chose the president of KOSME to be the chair, but the fact is, 96% of Korean companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is only natural that the president of KOSME, which represents SMEs, should take on the role of chair for an event focused on Korean SMEs.”

She also expressed the belief that, “In the future, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business should be included as the main organization behind the World Korean Business Convention.”

Below is the Q&A with Kim Mi-kyung, Co-Chair of the 23rd World Korean Business Convention.

다음은 요청하신 내용의 영어 번역입니다:

Q: Were there any challenges in preparing for the Atlanta World Korean Business Convention?

“The most important task in achieving the success of the convention was recruiting buyers locally in the U.S. To prepare for the event, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA established a Buyer Recruitment Committee. We then invited Caroline, who had retired after working at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, to lead the buyer recruitment efforts. However, due to time constraints, we were somewhat disappointed with the results of the buyer recruitment.”

Kim added, “So far, more than 300 buyers have been secured,” and emphasized, “In particular, Home Depot, which has the most locations in the U.S., will be attending as a buyer at this event. Six to seven Home Depot buyers will be matched one-on-one with Korean companies.”

다음은 요청하신 내용의 영어 번역입니다:

Q: If the World Korean Business Convention were to be held in other continents or countries, what advice would you give?

“First, it is important to unite the members of the Korean business associations in the hosting continent. Then, you need to secure sufficient sponsorship from successful businesspeople in that continent to help run the convention. You should also plan to recruit original buyers from the continent for about two years in advance. At the same time, you must dedicate efforts to recruiting exhibiting companies from Korea. It is also beneficial to maintain smooth communication with the Overseas Koreans Agency.”

Q: I understand that Korean Americans in the U.S. have also provided active support. Could you elaborate on that?

“That’s right. It is such a meaningful event, and many people from various regions have been actively supporting and participating. For this Atlanta convention, we invited Park Sun-geun, the President of the Korean-American Friendship Association, as the Honorary Chair. Based on his recommendation, we also invited Nathan Deal, the former Governor of Georgia, to serve as an Honorary Chair.”

She continued, “Brian Kemp, the current Governor of Georgia, has shown interest and is actively supporting the event. Additionally, the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration will be participating. With their involvement, this convention has truly become an event created in collaboration with the American mainstream society.”

다음은 요청하신 내용의 영어 번역입니다:

Q: What should our companies or government do to help Korean products enter the U.S. market?

“This convention aims to support the entry of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the U.S. market and the expansion of exports. Since this is an event where our diaspora businesses are offering guidance, I believe the support from the Korean government should be significantly increased. Additionally, Korean SMEs need to be properly prepared before entering the vast U.S. market. They should have a sufficient production and supply system in place, as well as financial stability to withstand payment terms. Once product contracts are made, exports should be able to proceed without major issues. Only companies with such systems in place should be participating.”

She added, “At this convention, there will be exhibitions of SME products, as well as programs promoting Korean culture, G-to-G (government-to-government) exchanges between Korean local governments and U.S. state governments, and B-to-G (business-to-government) programs between Korean companies and the U.S. government. We will also introduce startups, raise investments, and hold a venture capital (VC) forum.”

Q: Any final words?

“This convention is not only a great opportunity to support the expansion of Korean SMEs, investment attraction, and trade between Korea and the U.S., but also a chance to promote our culture and facilitate communication between the governments of both countries. Moreover, I expect it to be an event that will bring together our diaspora community and unite our efforts.”

 

*Reporter Lee Jong-hwan
stonevalley@naver.com

Original Article https://www.worldkorean.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=53558