Members of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. Willingly Donate
Korean-American community including New York’s KISS and Atlanta’s President Kim Baek-gyu also show strong support

The 23rd World Korean Business Convention will be held from April 17th to 20th in Atlanta, USA. This is the second time the convention is held overseas. The first overseas event took place in October 2023 in Orange County, California. Both events were organized and hosted by the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. (KACCU). Since the Atlanta event is happening just a year and a half after the Orange County convention, much of the preparation for the Atlanta event overlaps with that of the previous one. The World Korean Newspaper introduces the individuals who have worked hard to prepare for this event in a special article. <Editor’s note>

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

Mr. K, former president of the Washington State Korean-American Chamber of Commerce, serves as the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee for the 23rd World Korean Business Convention, overseeing the income and expenditure of the event’s finances. He is also a member of the organizing committee for the event, hosted by the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. (KACCU). Two years ago, he also held the role of chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee for the 21st World Korean Business Convention, which was held in Orange County, California.

It was not an easy task for the KACCU to host the World Korean Business Convention, which was organized by the Overseas Koreans Foundation. To “host” means to take responsibility for everything from securing the event budget to its execution. As a result, the organizing committee members traveled across Korea and the U.S. to secure close to $5 million in event funding and to attract participating companies. The chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee was always involved, as any financial mishandling could severely impact the event’s credibility. Mr. K was interviewed via SNS.

“After the 21st event in Orange County, I joined the organizing committee for the 23rd World Korean Business Convention in Atlanta this April. As the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, I’ve noticed several differences between this convention and the one in Orange County.”

He introduces, “First of all, the 21st convention was the first event attempted overseas, so there were high expectations but also many challenges,” and adds, “With 650 booths from Korean small and medium-sized enterprises participating, it became the largest convention in history.”

He further explains, “Perhaps because of this, a significant amount of sponsorship money came in, and there were not many financial difficulties in organizing the event.” However, he admits that there were considerable challenges in securing finances for the upcoming Atlanta convention.

“Events in the U.S. differ significantly in terms of costs compared to Korea. Since it’s only been a year and a half since the event in Orange County, the income budget was vastly insufficient compared to the expenditure budget. Even though the organizing committee made efforts to reduce costs and tighten spending, the sponsorships and the support from the Overseas Koreans Foundation were not enough to overcome the difficulties in preparing for the event.”

The former committee chairman shared, “The organizing committee and the 20+ executives of the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce in the U.S. held weekly video meetings, putting aside their own businesses to fully dedicate themselves to ensuring the success of the event.” He added, “There were many moments of inspiration and encouragement as we witnessed each other’s efforts.”

He also mentioned, “Initially, the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce in the U.S. planned to host this event independently, but six months before the event, it was elevated to the World Korean Business Convention, hosted by the Overseas Koreans Foundation.” He continued, “With major companies like Coca-Cola, CNN, Delta Airlines, Home Depot, and UPS headquartered in Atlanta, there are new expectations for the event.”

He further advised, “From the experience of the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce hosting two WKBC events, I would recommend listening to the experiences of those who have done it before. Additionally, hiring at least 10 staff members and assigning them tasks by field is a tip for leading the event to success.”

Kae, the former chairman of the Washington State Korean-American Chamber of Commerce, moved to Seattle in 1982 and has lived there for 43 years. He initially operated a bookstore center in Seattle before transitioning into the real estate business.

He stated, “There are many excellent products in Korea that can enter the U.S. market. The K-culture is also gaining momentum. In such a time, I believe collaborating with American creators and integrating K-Content and media-based businesses is a promising venture. Furthermore, the popularity of Korean food is rising, making franchise opportunities viable. Importing and distributing high-quality Korean ingredients, developing K-lifestyle brands, creating customized tourism products, and operating traditional cultural workshops are all potential business ideas that break from conventional methods.”

He expressed his expectation that the upcoming Atlanta conference would generate significant responses within the U.S., given these expectations.

He said, “For this conference, the executives of the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KACCI) in the U.S. willingly contributed their own funds,” and added, “As the head of the Budget and Finance Committee, I would like to express my gratitude to those who did not spare their support and contributions.”

He mentioned that Lee Kyung-cheol, the chairman of KACCI, donated $200,000, and several other KACCI members, including Chairman Kim Hyung-ryul, Kim Mi-kyung, the head of the Global Business Division and the Fundraising Committee for the organizing committee, and Honorary Chairman Hwang Byung-gu, also contributed. Additionally, many members of the Korean community in Atlanta, such as Chairman Kim Baek-gyu, were also generous with their support.

He also highlighted that Korean businesses, such as KISS in New York, Nature Cell, Hyundai Motors, and Hyundai Heavy Industries, did not hesitate to provide their support. Furthermore, he emphasized that Kim Ki-moon, the chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs, played a significant role in securing exhibitors for the event, and that the cultural performances from Korea would be presented in an upgraded manner.

*World Korean News wk@worldkorean.net

**Original Article https://www.worldkorean.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=53576

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