AustCham Korea is pleased to announce Mr Ross Gregory has been elected Chairperson at the most recent Board of Directors Meeting.

During the meeting, which was hosted at the Millennium Hilton Seoul, Mr Gregory was unanimously elected as the Chair, in addition to Ms Jo Billing and Mr Felix Busch as Vice Chairs, and Ms Kelly Ki Jeong Lee , CFA as Treasurer.

Mr Gregory welcomed the appointment, expressing his commitment to fostering a stronger and more diverse business community, in addition to extending his gratitude to both outgoing Chairs, Ms Jo Billing (2022) and Mr Chris Raciti (2018-2022) for their service and support of the Chamber.

The Chamber’s Executive Director, Mr Rowan Petz welcomed Mr Gregory upon his election and stated that he is looking forward to working alongside the Executive Committee in 2022 and beyond.

Read more about our Board of Directors below.

AustCham Korea is thrilled to welcome back Sok Hee Yoon, our Senior Business and Administration Manager.

Sok Hee was born in Busan, and moved to Sydney aged two where he grew up before returning to South Korea in 2011. He has extensive experience in sales, business development, and funding roles in Australia and Korea.

He has also worked in the event management and hospitality sectors. Most notable role was as Coca-Cola’s Senior Operations Manager for the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Olympics. In this role he planned for and organized six venues and over eighty staff & managers across multiple outlets.

Sok Hee’s background has given him a strong appreciation of the importance of systems, service, & relationships.

He is looking forward to creating value for the Chamber's stakeholders by building on the best aspects of the Australian and Korean culture and community.

If you would like to contact Sokhee, you can reach him at admin@austchamkorea.org.

On Thursday, April 7, the AustCham Korea team was pleased to visit our Corporate Member Mia Trading's restaurant, Hongsinso (홍신소). Here, the team was able to sample some of MIA Trading's imported Aussie beef and lamb. A special thanks to Mia Hong, CEO, and Hun Lee, Sales Manager, for providing a delicious tasting for AustCham's Grace Casley and Sok Hee Yoon.

MIA Trading, partnering with Coles Group Supermarket Australia and John Dee Processing plant in Warwick, is one of the major Australian meat importers in Korea, importing over 3,500 tons of beef and lamb products per year.

With its regional agency offices across the Korean province, MIA Trading has established various sales channels in the wholesale market including supermarket chains, franchise companies, and online malls.

MIA Trading's Business sectors include:

(1) Online Shopping Mall: Sisterhongmeat

Introducing 100% Australian Beef and Lamb to consumers at attractive prices.

(2) Australian BBQ Restaurant: Hongsinso

100% Australian Premium BBQ restaurant located in Garosu-Gil, Seoul.

Visit their website for details: www.miatrading.co.kr

On Friday, April 1, 2022, AustCham Korea's Executive Director Rowan Petz had the opportunity to meet with some of the AustCham community in Melbourne.

Joining him at Fonda Mexican were Ross Gregory, Executive Director at Altor Capital and AustCham Chairman, and Diana Underwood, Representative Director and Ergonomist at WorkWell Ergonomics and former AustCham Board Member and Vice-Chair.

It's always fantastic to connect with the community in both South Korea and Australia. If you're in Melbourne and free to catch up, please reach out to our Executive Director at exec@austchamkorea.org.

On Thursday, April 28, AustCham Korea hosted the very first Pub Night of 2022. With an excellent turnout, Aussies and Kiwis in the Korea business community came to enjoy beer, snacks, and a good ol’ chin wag at Blacklist in Itaewon.

With restrictions lifting and a hunger to reconnect, AustCham looks forward to hosting many similar events in the future. Watch this space!

Special thanks to ANZA Korea and The Kiwi Chamber (The New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea) for supporting the event.

AustCham Korea marked the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Gapyeong with a commemorative ceremony at the Australia and New Zealand Memorial in Gapyeong on Friday, 22nd of April, 2022.

The event honoured the brave soldiers from Australia and New Zealand who fought alongside South Korea during the Korean War. The Battle of Gapyong, (April 23–25, 1951), was a Korean War battle in which vastly outnumbered United Nations forces checked the communist advance on the South Korean capital of Seoul. Two Commonwealth battalions—the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment (2PPCLI) and the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR)—bore the brunt of the attack, and their defense of the Gapyong River valley against an entire enemy division helped halt the Communist Spring Offensive. Today, the battle is regarded as one of the most famous actions fought together by the Australian and Canadian armies in Korea.

The event was attended by the Australian Ambassador, H.E Catherine Raper, the New Zealand Ambassador, H.E. Philip Turner, defence teams of both countries, AustCham Korea, The Kiwi Chamber (The New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea), and ANZA Korea.

AustCham honoured the legacy of those who fought by donating 14 educational scholarships to local middle and high school students from the Gapyeong community thanks to the support of Gold Sponsors Eastpoint Partners Limited, IFM Investors, Macquarie Group, POSCO Holdings, Pepper Savings Bank Korea, and Woodside Energy. AustCham Korea would like to extend our special thanks to John Walker and Pepper Savings Bank Korea for making additional donations.

On Monday, April 25, AustCham Korea attended the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the War Memorial of Korea, where the sacrifices and contributions made by our Australian and New Zealand soldiers were recognised and remembered. Following the service, AustCham members took part in a wreath-laying presentation at the Australian monument in the Role of Honour hall.

“ANZAC” was the name given to a combined force of First Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Army troops who landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula at around dawn on Sunday, the 25th day of April, 1915, barely nine months after the outbreak of World War I.

Galvanised by the example of courage and sacrifice demonstrated on that bloody battlefield, on the 10th day of January 1916 a public meeting of Brisbane citizens voted unanimously to establish the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee to lay the groundwork for a nationwide, solemn day of public remembrance on the first anniversary of the landings.

On every 25th day of April for the past 100 years, “ANZAC Day” has been observed in Australia and New Zealand, becoming an honoured and sacred institution along the way.

On Friday, April 29, the AustCham Korea Secretariat joined Executive Director of Altor Capital and AustCham Korea Chairman Ross Gregory, and Trade and Investment Commissioner of Trade and Investment Queensland and Board Member Ryan Freer at the Austrade and KOMIR joint seminar, 'The Australia-Korea: New Opportunities in Critical Minerals Supply Chains'.

The insightful seminar covered the following topics:

On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, AustCham Korea members attended the 2nd Business+ Forum, held by KOTRA and the Norwegian Business Association Korea. The second forum of the series focused on the transition to green energy in South Korea.

“There is a high possibility that [President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol] will increase nuclear power and reduce the renewables for the adjustment of the energy mix proportion,” said environmental law specialist Kim Weon-jin, a partner of major Korean law firm Yulchon LLC, during the Business+ Forum at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in southern Seoul.

The Wednesday event, which was the second of its kind, was attended by about 50 representatives from foreign businesses operating in Korea and foreign chambers of commerce, including Lyu Jae-won, the executive vice president for trade-investment data at Kotra, and Andreas Kristoffersen, chairman of Norwegian Business Association Korea.

The Business+ Forum is a monthly event for foreign businesses operating in Korea and is supported by 18 foreign chambers in the country.

AustCham Korea is delighted to invite you to join our premium networking night, Taste of Australia.

Bringing together local and expat communities in Seoul, the Taste of Australia event will showcase premium Australian produce, enabling guests to enjoy delicious food, beverage and entertainment at the Millennium Hilton Seoul.

The event will feature an Australian-themed food buffet paired with thoughtfully curated Australian wines, beer and a variety of refreshing beverages.

Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022

Time: 7:00 pm – late (registration starts at 6:30 pm)

Location: Millennium Hilton Seoul

Address: 50 Sowol-ro, Namdaemunno 5(o)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

Dress code: Smart casual

Tickets: KRW90,000 members | KRW110,000 non-members | Student discount on enquiry

Format: Standing buffet showcasing premium Australian inspired cuisine and beverages

For information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rowan Petz, Executive Director at exec@austchamkorea.org

The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea welcomes you to our upcoming Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ‘Yeouido Hangang Eco Conservation Project’ on Friday, 6th of May and Saturday, 7th of May.

Working with the Saetgang Center, AustCham Korea will be seeking corporate volunteers, guests, and families to assist in the upkeep of the Ecological Park. AustCham welcomes donations to the initiative, as well as general registrations for volunteers.

Date: Friday, May 6, 2022/Saturday, May 7, 2022

Time: Friday (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)/Saturday (9:30 am – 12:30 pm) *refreshments and pizza provided after*

Location: Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park (샛강생태공원)

Address: Seoul, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yeouidong-ro 48 (서울 영등포구 여의동로 48)

AustCham Korea is excited to welcome back Singapore Airlines as a Silver Sponsor.

Singapore Airlines has come a long way since its founding in 1972, earning a reputation as an innovative market leader combining quality products with excellent service. They fly one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world, with an average aircraft age of 5 years and 7 months, to destinations spanning a network extending to 71 destinations in 33 countries.

Singapore Airlines operates in 8 cities (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast) in Australia and 2 cities (Auckland, Christchurch) in New Zealand with the most premium product of Airbus A350s, Boeing 787, 777s, 737s.

Singapore Airlines has been ranked as the world's best airline by Skytrax four times and named in FORTUNE 'World's Most Admired Companies' for the 20th time. Their health and safety measures have also been highly praised, being selected by Skytrax Covid-19 Airline Safety Audit '5-Star Health and Safety Rating' in 2021 and APEX Health Safety 'Global Airline Health And Safety Audit – Diamond Rating' in 2021.

To see all of their latest news and deals, visit their website here.

AustCham Korea is pleased to welcome the APAC Network as our newest Corporate Member!

Amid the rapid pace of change in the technological age, every day, next-generation thinkers across the Asia-Pacific are transforming the way we live.

Taking a fresh, innovative approach to broadcast television and streaming live online, the APAC Network interviews these change-makers at the cutting edge of future industries, city-shaping, circular economics, and geopolitics.

Filming for the network begins in a couple of weeks time, so if you would like to connect with the APAC Network directly, please reach out to Oriel Morrison at oriel@apacnetwork.com.

Congratulations to AustCham Korea Gold Sponsor POSCO for their acquisition of Australian energy firm Senex Energy Limited.

South Korean trading firm POSCO International Corp said on March 31 that it has completed an acquisition of Australian energy company Senex Energy, as part of its effort to put more focus in eco-friendly energy businesses.

The Korean firm clinched a deal in December last year with Senex Energy to own 50.1 percent of shares of the Australian company at 405 billion won ($334 million). It took three months to receive authorities’ approval.

The latest acquisition marks the company’s first global deal after its parent company launched holding company Posco Holdings in March, to focus on charting out future business, research and investment.

The company said its buying out of Senex Energy will enhance corporate value and contribute to the country’s energy security, amid continued global supply chain issues and oil price hikes.

Senex Energy is Australia’s fifth-largest petroleum gas company which operates three gas fields in Queensland. It sells petroleum gas to LNG liquefaction plants and gas power plants. In 2021, the firm recorded annual sales of 1.16 million Australian dollars ($868,300), with an operating profit of AU$250,000.

“Acquiring Senex Energy will, in the short term, allow us to secure additional reserves of natural gas, and in the long term, give us a foothold to step further to achieve the company goal of energy transition and carbon neutrality,” said Posco International CEO Joo Si-bi.

Read more here.

Congratulations to Matthew Chang, CEO of AustCham Korea's Gold Sponsor Pepper Savings Bank, for being selected as "The 10 Most Influential Business Leaders to Follow in 2022" by 'Beyond Exclamation' in the US.

Matthew Chang, CEO of Pepper Savings Bank, is a determined banker who believes in balance in all things, especially in terms of Family and Health, and that happiness is the core basis of success.

In less than 10 years, he has taken Pepper Savings Bank from a mom-and-pop operation to one of the biggest and most profitable savings banks in Korea, a market that’s known to be extremely difficult and competitive.

“We’ve laid the foundation for the transition to digital savings banks through the launch of the Digital Pepper app,” said Chang. “We plan to further elevate users’ satisfaction by continuously enhancing the Digital Pepper app centered on customer needs.”

Read more here.

Congratulations to AustCham Korea's Gold Sponsor POSCO for being names Sustainability Champion, a first for a Korean steel company, in the regular conference of the World Steel Association in the first half of the year, which was held in London, UK, on April 11 and 12.

The World Steel Association has been selecting companies that lead sustainability in the steel industry as Sustainability Champion among about 140 members since 2018. A total of 15 steel companies have been selected as of last year by reevaluating all member companies every year to encourage them to maintain a high level of sustainable management. This year, only POSCO was chosen, while six existing sustainability champions were eliminated and only nine companies were selected again.

To become a Sustainability Champion, companies should satisfy the following five requirements: i) selection as an excellent sustainability member ii) a finalist in the Steelie Awards iii) publication of a sustainability report iv) submission of sustainability data and v) submission of carbon emission by material and process (Life Cycle Inventory, LCI) data. The steel makers selected as Sustainability Champions are recognized as exemplary cases of ESG management and receive the highest honor.

POSCO satisfied all of the five criteria and was selected as the only new best member this year in recognition of its efforts and achievements in ESG management, including the Net-zero carbon 2050 Declaration, establishment of dedicated ESG organization, and establishment of advanced governance.

Read more here.

Congratulations to Maersk for being selected for their influence on greener shipping for the second year in a row.

Shipping is responsible for 3% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, emitting close to 1 billion metric tons of CO2 annually. To clean things up, Danish shipping giant Maersk is working with renewables firm European Energy to kick-start large-scale production of sustainably produced carbon-neutral e-methanol. Maersk plans to launch the first container ship using carbon-neutral fuel next year, and is building 12 larger liners that run on green methanol too. It also recently accelerated its net-zero emissions goal to 2040, compared to the industry standard of at least a 50% reduction by 2050 compared to 2008.

Read more here.

On April 5, Robert Walters Korea announced the ‘Save the Earth with Robert Walters’, a year-round campaign in which, for every placement made, 10,000-won will be donated to local environmental organisations paving the way towards environmental conservation. 'Save the Earth with Robert Walters' is a local initiative run by the Korea and Japan offices, as part of their reforestation project, that pledges to plant one tree for each candidate placement. This program is in partnership with the World Land Trust.

Robert Walters continues to seek ways to further reduce its carbon footprint through regular consultations with external experts and advisors. By committing to these sustainability initiatives, the Robert Walters Group aims to secure future opportunities and create long-term value for its stakeholders.

To learn more about Robert Walters Korea’s sustainability initiatives, click here.