Following the Chamber's first post-AGM Board Meeting, we are pleased to announce the Chamber's recently elected office bearers for 2021:

- Chris Raciti, CEO at ANZ Korea, as Chair

- Jo Billing, Director & Co-CEO at JOST & Co , as Vice-Chair

- Andrew Wagner, Associate Director at Macquarie Capital, as Vice-Chair

- Kelly Ki Jeong Lee , CFA, Director, Global Relationship Group & Korea Branch Representative at IFM Investors, as Treasurer

We look forward to working with the newly elected leadership team and the rest of our 2021 Board of Directors in advancing the Australia-Korea business relationship.

Visit our website to learn more.

On Tuesday, February 23rd, the Chamber had the pleasure of partnering with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) to host a special hybrid briefing on “Circular Economy: Australian Landscape and Opportunities”.

The Australian Ambassador to Korea, H.E. Catherine Raper, and Deputy Director General at the Global Green Growth Institute, Hyoeun Jenny Kim, provided opening remarks for the session, which was attended, both virtually and offline, by key industry leaders from Korea and Australia.

Focusing on the growing #CircularEconomy sector in Australia, Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Global Business and Talent Attraction, Peter Verwer AO, and the Senior Investment Specialist at Austrade, David Gwyther, provided detailed presentations on market entry opportunities for investors to capitalize on an emerging pipeline of investor-ready projects, opportunities to deploy new technology and availability of Government funding support.

To view the recording of the event, please click here.

Visit our website to browse photos of the offline event, which was hosted at the Global Green Growth Institute HQ in Seoul and attended by a limited number of guests, adhering to the local social distancing guidelines.

AustCham Korea's Executive Director, Rowan Petz, was recently nominated by Matthew Chang, CEO of Pepper Savings Bank, to join the #GoGoChallenge.

The ‘Go Go Challenge’ is a campaign launched by the Ministry of Environment to reduce the use of disposables and plastics, by making a commitment on SNS to practice one ‘do not do’ and one ‘can do’ action.

He pledged to the following:

"(1) The AustCham team and I will use and encourage our members to use KeepCups at the office and when ordering take-away coffee, reducing the need for single-use cups.

(2) Additionally, I will refrain from using single-use plastic bags, opting to use one of the many tote bags which have been donated to us by our Members.

While reducing waste is a global issue and requires a global response, I believe that it all starts with making small conscious decisions on how we live our lives.”

Mr Petz then invited two AustCham Members, Cochlear Korea, Novotech Korea and USG Boral Building Products Korea to join the campaign as the next Go Go Challenge participants.

Read more here.

AustCham Korea is glad to welcome the new Australian Defence Attaché, Captain Chris Smith, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), to Seoul.

The Chamber looks forward to continuing to support various Defence initiatives, including the annual Gapyeong Scholarship program, ANZAC Day memorials and Korean War commemorations. If you are interested in sponsoring a Gapyeong Scholarship for local Middle and High School students, or would like more information about the initiative, please reach out to us at info@austchamkorea.org.

Captain Chris Smith joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1989, graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Oceanography and Mathematics. On completion of seaman officer training he served as an Officer of the Watch on the bridges of several warships before commencing flying training. On receiving his Aviation Warfare Officer wings in 1996 he again served on a number of Australian warships this time as part of an embarked Seahawk helicopter flight.

Captain Smith served with the Royal Navy on exchange for four years on Lynx maritime attack helicopters before returning to Australia to instruct aircrew on helicopter operations. He served as the Australian Assistant Defence Attaché in Seoul from 2009-2012 and the Defence Attaché in Bangkok from 2016-2019. He assumed duties as the Australian Defence Attaché in Seoul in January 2021.

Captain Smith’s operational experience includes active service in the Northern Arabian Gulf, Sierra Leone and Iraq.

Captain Smith is the first Australian graduate of the Thai National Defence College and has a Master of Arts in Strategy and Policy, a Master of Management Studies in Leadership, and a Master of Business, all through the University of New South Wales. He is currently a PhD candidate with Deakin University in Melbourne.

He married Marika whilst serving with the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom, and has two daughters, Isabella (23) and Teah (16), and a son, Roman (14). Isabella is an Air Force Officer, graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy in December 2018. Previously a keen rugby player, he hung up his boots in 2002 but has enthusiastically embraced the spectating role.

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Dr Alexandra Siddall as the new Deputy Head of Mission (DHOM) at the Australian Embassy to the Republic of Korea.

Dr Siddall commenced her role as DHOM in February 2021.

A senior career diplomat and foreign policy professional, Dr Siddall’s clear-sighted understanding of Australia’s Indo-Pacific interests has been shaped by previous diplomatic postings to Tokyo (2012-2016) and Moscow (2004-2007), a three-year secondment to the Office of National Assessments (2007-2010), and significant experience in Canberra and overseas contributing to four of Australia’s most important bilateral relationships – the United States, China, South Korea and Japan.

She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Queensland focused on international security of the Asia-Pacific, specifically US-China relations. She speaks Japanese, French and Russian, and currently learning Korean.

We look forward to working with Dr Siddall and the rest of the Embassy team to continuing to advance bilateral ties during this important year, which marks the 60th anniversary of Australia-Korea diplomatic relations.

Read more here.

The Chamber would like to congratulate the Hon Mathias Cormann on his appointment as the next Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD - OCDE) Secretary-General.

AustCham Korea had the pleasure of hosting the Mr Cormann for a business reception in Seoul, during his visit to the Republic of Korea in October 2017.

To view photos from the reception and read the full Media Release on the subject from the Australian Government, please visit our website.

On Thursday, March 4th, AustCham Korea was glad to support AustCham China, AustCham Shanghai and KPMG Australia in hosting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) webinar update.

We would like to thank the three distinguished speakers, Kevin Thomson, Shiro Armstrong, Leonie Ferretter, and moderator, Nick Coyle, for their time and insights.

Please click here to watch the webinar recording.

On Monday, March 8th, AustCham Korea was glad to collaborate with the Asialink Business and the Australian Embassy in the Republic of Korea, to host a special #IWD2021 event 'Choose to Challenge: Exploring Women's Leadership in Australia and Korea'.

We hope that all attendees found the session insightful on this important day, as we reflected on what #choosingtochallenge means to women across different cultures and different stages of their careers.

We would like to extend our thanks to our guest speakers, H.E. Catherine Raper, Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Penny Burtt, Asialink Group CEO, Sandra Park, Country Representative Korea at Woodside Energy, and Helen Oh, Trade and Investment Commissioner at Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) Seoul, as well as our wonderful MC, Jo Billing, Vice-Chair of AustCham Korea and Co-CEO of JOST & Co.

If you would like to access the webinar recording, please click here.

We would like to congratulate the Chamber's Project Manager, Kate Kalinova, on being nominated as one of the ‘Young Women to Watch in International Affairs’ for 2021!

Check out the full Young Australians in International Affairs list here.

Image credit: Australian Embassy in the Republic of Korea

Did you know that you can find AustCham Korea's past webinars on our YouTube channel?

We upload complimentary past webinars to make them accessible to you for review or viewing at your leisure. If you are an AustCham Member and would like to access some of the past paid webinar recordings, please get in touch with us at info@austchamkorea.org.

Click here to browse AustCham Korea's YouTube Channel and subscribe to keep track of our webinars and other initiatives.

Next Wednesday, April 7th, AustCham Korea invites you to join our upcoming webinar, hosted in partnership with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Queensland (CCIQ), as we explore opportunities in Korea, and market entry strategies for exporters in a post-COVID world.

As Australia’s 4th largest trading partner and with the Korea – Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) in place , Korea provides significant opportunities for Australian exporters, importers and investors.

This event will take place at 11am KST/ 12 pm AEST on Wednesday, April 7th, and while it is targeted towards the Agribusiness, Food and Beverage industries, it can benefit any businesses interested in exporting to Korea.

One month after #IWD2021, AustCham Korea is pleased to invite you to a special follow-up event exploring the roles of ‘Champions of Change: Male Leaders Championing Gender Equality in Their Fields‘.

Hosted at 11:30 pm KST on Thursday, April 8th, the virtual panel will bring together high-profile experts with extensive industry and leadership experience across #Asia.

Our panellists include:

- Alfred Bae, Head of Research & Analysis, Korea at ‎ANZ

- Felix Busch, General Manger at Millennium Hilton Seoul

- Ken Nam, Of Counsel, Seoul at Herbert Smith Freehills

- Andrew Wagner, Associate Director at Macquarie Capital

The panel discussion will be moderated by Jo Billing, Director & Co-CEO at JOST & Co , and will build upon the March 8th panel discussion, ‘Choose to Challenge: Exploring Women’s Leadership in Australia and Korea‘.

Join us in continuing the discussion of gender diversity, leadership and empowerment beyond International Women's Day 2021 by registering your details below and submitting a question to our panel.

Despite the continuing COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings in the ROK, we are pleased to advise that planning is going ahead at this stage with events to mark both the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong (at Gapyeong - 23 April) and the ANZAC Day Dawn Service (at the National War Memorial, Seoul - 25 April).

Unfortunately, given limitations on the size of public gatherings in Korea, the Australian and New Zealand Embassies will need to strictly limit numbers at both functions, and attendance will be by a small number of official invitations only.

We regret that we are not able to make these very special events open to the public as usual, but our priority, as at home in Australia and New Zealand, is always public health, and the need to comply closely with our local social distancing guidelines.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to continuing to honour this important legacy, both through virtual engagements and, once COVID-restrictions ease, offline events.

Please note that due to the ongoing high case numbers of COVID-19 in Korea, the Chamber has made the decision to further postpone the event to August 20th.

Date: Friday, August 20, 2021

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

Location: Millennium Hilton Seoul, Grand Ballroom

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

Dress code: Smart casual

Format: Standing buffet showcasing premium Australian inspired cuisine and beverages.

Registration: Ticket purchases will re-open shortly. Thank you to all those who have already purchased tickets for the event, which was expected to tale place on March 19th.

If you are no longer able to attend the event on August 20th, please get in touch with us at events@austchamkorea.org and we will issue a refund.

Looking for some unique gift ideas, your next Seoul apartment or a fitness program to get fit for the summer season?

Get inspired with some terrific March specials from our Small Business Members!

Featuring deals from: Australian Tea Masters, Bae Juice, Big Dream (Four Pillars Gin), CrossFit Hannam, Golden 8 Skincare, Kanguru, Nature Shop, MoonBear Brewing, The Sool Company, The Workshop, Posture360 and Simple Spaces Korea.

Check out the March specials here.

Registration is now open for the 2021 Victorian Global EdTech & Innovation Expo!

Hosted between April 6-April 8, this virtual EdTech expo has been developed in partnership between Global Victoria and EduGrowth.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about innovative EdTech companies and connect with Australian EdTech entrepreneurs. It is hoped that attendees will be impressed with the EdTech solutions at the event that are transforming the way educators teach and students learn globally.

Who should attend?

This is specifically designed for the global education industry. Whether you are an educator or an EdTech professional — this is the event for you. The following is a list of groups who will benefit from the expo:

- Schools, colleges, universities and training institutes

- Teachers, lecturers and academics

- Education departments at various government levels

- EdTech entrepreneurs

- EdTech investors

- Companies who service the education industry

- Education industry partners

- Education consultants

Times & Dates

Day 1, April 6 – K12

Day 2, April 7 – Higher education

Day 3, April 8 – Workforce

AM Session – 7am -9:30 am AEST

PM Session – 5pm – 9:30 pm AEST

Click here for details and registration.

ECLC is a premier English language early childhood program for children aged 2 to 6 years and has been serving the Seoul community since 1969.

To learn more about ECLC's well-established and nurturing Early Childhood program or to join their upcoming Open House event on Wednesday, April 21st, please visit their website at eclcseoul.com.

Congratulations to the Chamber's Gold Sponsor, Pepper Savings Bank, on being awarded Korea’s Best Business Award by Maeil Business Newspaper (매일경제)!

Pepper Savings Bank ranked third in domestic asset scale as of the end of June 2020. Since its opening in 2013, Pepper Savings Bank has continuously grown based on basic principles of ‘profitability and balance’, ‘strong financial structure,’ and ‘people-centric’ management.

‘People-centric’ management, which is the key management philosophy of Matthew Chang, CEO of Pepper Savings Bank, drives the rapid progress of the company. His management philosophy can be summarized in 4 parts; Pepper Savings Bank should contribute to regional development, improve customer services, manage funds safely to prevent financial accidents, and protect depositors through the company’s safe fund management.

Pepper Savings Bank, is also carrying out various social contribution activities. Noteworthy scholarship programs include the COVID-19 Pepper Hope Scholarship and the Supportive Fund for Studying in Australia and the University Student Ambassador.

Read more on AustCham Member News.

ASM has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chungcheongbuk-do (Chungbuk) Provincial Government and Cheongju-si (Cheongju), City Government to locate its first metals plant (Korean Metals Plant or KMP) within the Ochang Foreign Investment Zone in Korea.

The Chungbuk Provincial Government MoU covers supply of utilities, administrative licenses and permit procedures, including the Korean Standard Industrial Classification code for rare metals and rare earth metals. The MoU also includes a government grant, in accordance with the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.

ASM Managing Director, David Woodall, said “This MoU, along with the strong support from the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Chungbuk Provincial Government, provides ASM with confidence to build the metals plant in the Ochang Foreign Investment Zone. With key Korean manufacturing companies like LG Chemical, Samsung SDI, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Mobis within close proximity, we are confident that building our first metal plant in this well established industrial area will provide significant benefits.”

ASM’s Korean Metals Plant will initially produce high-purity neodymium-iron-boron powder and titanium powder using the innovative, low-energy metallisation process developed by ASM’s Ziron Tech team.

Read the full story here.

Specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Korea received the ‘Contribution to Job Creation Grand Prize’ at the ‘2021 Happy Plus CSR Awards’. The ‘2021 Happy Plus CSR Awards’ is co-organised by the Korea Enterprises Federation and the Association of Korean Journalists and is sponsored by the Ministry of Economy & Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Employment & Labour, and the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family.

Robert Walters Korea received the award in recognition of progressing job creation during Covid-19 outbreak and leading exemplary CSR initiatives, as well as its dedication to recruitment activities. Robert Walters has been committed to creating a positive social impact and encouraging its employees to engage in volunteer work.

Each year, Robert Walters holds its Global Charity Day, where all employees from across the Group participate in volunteer activities to raise money for chosen charities in their local communities and regions. In 2020, Robert Walters Korea donated funds and volunteered for various local communities such as an animal rescue centre, a homeless shelter, community restaurant to help alleviate Covid-19 suffering. Beyond donations and volunteering, Robert Walters Korea also offers special support for professionals affected by Covd-19, taking initiatives integrated its specialty as a global recruitment consultancy.

Robert Walters Korea drives efforts in improving job recognition of lesser known start-ups, SMEs and international companies in Korea for new graduates and MBA students by holding mentoring sessions and actively participating in industry-specialised online events including the KOTRA Online Job Fair.

JunWon Choi, Country Manager at Robert Walters Korea, commented “We are honoured to have been recognised through this great award for the second year in a row. Robert Walters has been committed to finding quality jobs that create value for ‘people’ as ‘people’ have been at the heart of everything we do. As a trusted advisor, Robert Walters Korea has been committed to vitalizing the employment of global talents in Korea amidst the Covid-19 pandemic as well as helping our candidates and clients build fulfilling careers and grow effective teams.

This award is a testament to our contribution to society and our efforts in making a positive difference for clients, candidates, colleagues and communities globally through our services and CSR initiatives. We will continue to build a world where people and organisations can truly fulfil their unique potential, long into the future.”

Read more here.

Power and gas giant Origin Energy has struck a deal with one of South Korea’s biggest steel-makers POSCO to investigate future exports of zero-emissions hydrogen made from renewable energy in Tasmania and Queensland.

As countries around the world increasingly explore the potential of hydrogen in helping decarbonise their economies, Origin is working on several export-scale “green” hydrogen opportunities, including a 300-megawatt project in Townsville – using wind and solar – and a 500-megawatt green ammonia plant in Tasmania’s Bell Bay.

On Thursday, ASX-listed Origin said it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with POSCO, to “cooperate on producing and supplying green hydrogen to Korea”.

Felicity Underhill, Origin’s general manager of future fuels, said Australia was in the “box seat” to become a major player in the potential global hydrogen boom due to its abundance of renewable energy resources and existing experience and supply chains for shipping energy commodities into key Asian markets.

“We are seeing significant demand for zero-carbon fuels from Asia from the 2030s and even sooner from Korea and Japan from the mid-2020s,” she said.

Read more here.

Exciting news from our Silver Sponsor, McDonald's Korea - Fillet O' Fish Burgers are back on the menu!

While the Fillet O' Fish Burgers are a much-loved classic in Australia, and were actually on the menu when McDonald's first opened in Korea in 1988, they were discontinued in 2008 and are back due to popular demand!

The Fillet O' Fish Burgers will be on the menu starting April 1st, so stay tuned and share you comments below once you try the burger for yourself.

Watch the McDonald's Korea Managing Director, Antoni Martinez, share the news here.

Did you know the iconic green and gold Australian Made, Australian Grown logo is the true mark of Australian authenticity?

The logo is underpinned by a third-party accreditation system, which ensures products that carry the logo are 'genuinely Australian'.

Find out more about the logo here.

The new logo for the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Australia has been released!

Designed by Mr In Kim, the logo is a meeting of colours, landmarks, flags and shared optimism for the future. Make sure to keep an eye on it for a series of #60thanniversary events to be hosted throughout the year!

The logo was selected from a design contest jointly hosted by the Australian Embassy, Republic of Korea and the Korean Embassy in Australia.

AustCham Korea is glad to welcome CitrusAd to the Chamber as a Corporate Member!

CitrusAd is considered to be the world's leading retail media platform. Since its launch in 2017, CitrusAd has rapidly grown to now power digital retail media for tier 1 retailers across 25 countries, their impressive customer list includes globally recognized retailer brands like Sainsbury's, Argos, Ocado, Tesco, Macy's, Coles, and more locally FairPrice in Singapore to name a few.

Find out more about this exciting tech company at https://www.citrusad.com

AustCham Korea is glad to welcome ECLC International Kindergarten as our newest Member!

ECLC is a premier English language early childhood program for children aged 2 to 6 years and has been serving the Seoul community since 1969.

At ECLC children are the heart and center of their program. They endeavor to provide all students with a fun, engaging and holistic learning environment where they feel safe, respected and loved.

To learn more about ECLC's well-established and nurturing Early Childhood program or to join their upcoming Open House event please visit their website at eclcseoul.com.