Dear Readers,
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Those of you who have been keeping up with KOTRA
Express for some time might be familiar with me, but to our
new readers, I’m Yong Kook Kim, Head of Invest KOREA
(IK), and it’s my pleasure to welcome you. But whether
you’re new to our magazine or have been following us for a
while, I want to thank you for your support. I also want to
keep you updated on the latest things going down at IK. IK is the foreign investment promotion arm of
KOTRA and we make sure that Korea is an ideal business destination for foreign investors.
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If you haven’t heard, Korea’s startup scene is incredibly vibrant and promising. Just last year, venture capital
firms invested nearly $1.9 billion in Korean start-ups. And to keep this going, we’ll be holding a number of
investor relations events overseas—first in Singapore, then in Hong Kong. Korean startups specializing in the
ICT and cultural content sectors will not only meet with potential investors to pitch their latest projects, but
showcase their technology on a global scale.
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IK is also doing its part to prepare and adjust to the changing global climate, most notably in the United
States. In response to the new administration in the U.S., I’ll be meeting with companies from the American
Chamber of Commerce to discuss “Trumponomics” and how we can better prepare ourselves in this shifting
political and economic environment.
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Finally, IK, the Office of the Foreign Ombudsman and the Investment Consulting Center (ICC) are working
to make the investor support system more efficient and far-reaching. As such, we’ve been holding monthly
meetings to come up with ways we can better address your needs. Should you have any suggestions or comments
on what we can do to make Korea a more comfortable place for you, please feel free to let us know.
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We’re only three months into 2017, but there are already so many changes taking place in Korea and overseas.
As we expect more change this year, we’ll keep you updated on the latest news on Korea’s trade, economy
and investment environment through KOTRA Express.
Sincerely,

Yong Kook Kim / Head of Invest KOREA