Prime minister welcomes US
firms relocating Asian headquarters to Korea
By
Park Jae-hyuk, The Korea Times - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
(AMCHAM) has won support from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration for its major
goal of making Korea the regional headquarters of Asia for multinational
companies.
During a special meeting
hosted by AMCHAM, Friday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said that the government
is open to resolving problems facing foreign businesspeople who seek to manage
their Asian operations here in Korea.
He noted that Korea should now
become a global hub and not just the hub of Northeast Asia, a goal he had pursued
when he served as the prime minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration in
2007.
"We'll look at what
actually hinders the realization of the vision," he said. "You are
free to contact us."
Han promised that the
government will improve Korea's foreign investment environment by abolishing
all kinds of regulations contradictory to international standards. He also
introduced the government's efforts to educate talented students in Korea to
increase the number of experts in semiconductors and high-tech industries.
He especially cited the
phrase, "fellow global citizens," which was mentioned multiple times
in the president's inaugural speech as proof of the administration's
cosmopolitan attitude, saying that Yoon's predecessors had only mentioned
"Korean diaspora" or "North Korean residents."
"We will achieve an
unprecedented level of freedom and market economy in Korea," Han said.
He also commended the ongoing
success of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA), which marked its
10th anniversary this year. He highlighted that the KORUS FTA will continue to
be a platform that creates mutually beneficial opportunities for both
countries.
As Korea's former ambassador to
the U.S., he emphasized the Korean government's commitment to strengthening a
bilateral partnership with the U.S., not just in terms of economy, but also in
terms of security.
AMCHAM Chairman James Kim
appreciated the prime minister's leadership in driving Yoon's deregulation and
economic agenda.
"AMCHAM really wants to
support the Korean Government in creating the best business environment so that
Korea could emerge as a regional headquarters of Asia," Kim said,
promising that AMCHAM members will also support the Korean government's efforts
to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan.
Source: www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2022/07/419_332011.html?da