SIX KOREAN COMPANIES HAVE ESTABLISHED A PRESENCE IN GEORGIA SINCE THE KOREA TRADE CENTER, ATLANTA (KOTRA) OPENED LAST YEAR, AND DON-YOUNG CHO, THE CENTER’S DIRECTOR GENERAL, EXPECTS MORE TO COME.

“SOONER OR LATER MORE KOREAN COMPANIES WILL COME HERE,” HE ADDED DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH GLOBALFAX LAST WEEK, CITING THE CITY’S STRENGTHS AS A TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION HUB, AND AS A TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND FINANCIAL CENTER.

KOREAN COMPANIES ARE LIKELY TO CHOOSE GEORGIA OVER OTHER STATES THAT OFFER MORE TAX CONCESSIONS  OR EVEN FREE LAND BECAUSE OF THESE STRENGTHS,  HE SAID. AND HE WENT SO FAR AS TO GLIMPSE IN THE FUTURE

WHEN THE CITY WOULD RIVAL NEW YORK AS A GLOBAL CENTER.

MR. CHO HAS BEEN WITH KOTRA FOR 23 YEARS AND WAS LAST POSTED IN WASHINGTON D.C. BEFORE MOVING TO ATLANTA WHERE HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTRACTING KOREAN COMPANIES HERE AND ALSO FOR ENCOURAGING LOCAL COMPANIES TO INVEST IN KOREA.  THE CENTER WILL CELEBRATE ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY ON THURSDAY, JUNE 6 FROM 5 P.M. TO 7 P.M. ON THE LOBBY LEVEL OF THE MARQUIS ONE TOWER.

BECAUSE OF HIS RECENT ARRIVAL, HE SAID THAT HE STILL IS REACTING TO FIRST IMPRESSIONS, BUT THAT HE THINKS THAT THE CITY AND THE STATE WOULD BE BETTER KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD IF THEY HAD PROMOTED THEMSELVES MORE.

AS ONE OF SEVERAL EXAMPLES, HE SAID THAT VISITING KOREANS ARE UNABLE TO SEE TARA OR A REPLICA OF THE PLANTATION MADE FAMOUS BY GONE WITH THE WIND, WHICH HE CALLS, “THE SECOND MOST WIDELY READ BOOK IN THE WORLD.” OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN MISSED TO PROMOTE GEORGIA PRODUCTS SUCH AS PEACHES  AND PEANUTS GLOBALLY, HE ADDED.

NEVERTHELESS, MR. CHO SAID THAT REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE IMPRESSED BY THE LOCAL BUSINESS  CLIMATE, AND FIND THAT THEY CAN PRODUCE GOODS HERE FOR MUCH LESS EXPENSE THAN AT HOME.

HE ALSO SAID THAT GEORGIA COMPANIES SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING A PRESENCE IN KOREA, WHICH HE CALLED MORE POLITICALLY STABLE THAN SOME OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES AND FAMILIAR WITH AMERICAN CULTURE AND BUSINESS PRACTICES SINCE THE TIME OF THE KOREAN WAR IN THE EARLY 1950S.

KOREANS HAVE BUILT THE 11TH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD WITH “A CAN DO SPIRIT,” HE ADDED, CITING THE KOREAN GIANT SAMSUNG’S ABILITY TO BECOME A GLOBAL LEADER IN THE PRODUCTION OF COMPUTER CHIPS, OR THE COUNTRY’S ABILITY TO BECOME LEADERS IN PROVIDING WORLD MARKETS WITH ATHLETIC SHOES AND CAMPING EQUIPMENT.

MR. CHO AND CHONG-HEN CHUNG, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, KONG-GI PROVINCE WILL BE HOSTING THE COMMEMORATION. PARTICIPANTS IN AN AGRICULTURAL TRADE MISSION FROM KONG-GI PROVINCE ALSO WILL BE THERE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (404) 524-2424, EXT. 13.