On February 13, the Roundtable for Foreign Investors 2017 was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul in a bid to listen to the grievances and suggestions of foreign-invested companies and seek ways to swiftly resolve challenges. Through this roundtable, the Korean government strived to show its encouragement and support towards foreign investors doing business in Korea. So far, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Korea has reached a record high of over USD 20 billion in 2016.
    The roundtable was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and organized by the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). It stands as the nation’s first roundtable with foreign investors in Korea.
    A total of 22 participants from foreign chambers of Korea and CEOs of foreigninvested companies took part in this event. Attendees also included the Vice Minister of MOTIE, officials from the related government ministries and agencies, and KOTRA. Notably, Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn met with foreign investors and called for sustained FDI in Korea. He also offered words of encouragement and support to foreign investors.
    In his welcoming remarks, Hwang said that there are many challenges ahead due to both external and internal factors, such as the rapidly changing international climate, uncertainty over the global economy and weak domestic demand. He went on to say that the Korean government is making utmost efforts to overcome these obstacles and turn these challenges into great opportunities.
    Hwang also emphasized that the government is working tirelessly to stabilize the Korean economy. He introduced various

government initiatives of economic stabilization including contingency plans, risk management and a close monitoring of financial and foreign exchange markets. Furthermore, he stressed that the government will actively seek out ways to revitalize the Korean economy through support measures such as overseas market expansion, revitalization of start-ups and regulatory improvement.
    The Acting President emphasized the importance of foreign-invested companies in Korea as they generate 13 percent of total corporate revenues, 18 percent of exports and 6 percent of the total employment in the Korean economy. As such, Hwang said he would step up efforts to make things much easier for foreigninvested companies to do business in Korea, thereby creating high-quality jobs in the country.
    In his formal response to the Acting President’s speech, American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) President and CEO of GM Korea James Kim said that he firmly believed that the Korean government cares deeply about the opinions of foreign-invested companies and will make the business environment more suitable for foreign investors.
    Stefan Halusa, President of Korean- German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, mentioned that foreign-invested companies in Korea have contributed significantly to the country’s economy, and they helped the Korean industry enhance its global competitiveness. He added that he would look forward to more constructive and open dialogues between the Korean government and foreign-invested companies in Korea.
    The meeting continued with a followup session on grievances and suggestions, which