European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK)

[Members&Partners] Yulchon LLC Welcomes Back Distinguished IP & Technology Expert Keejeong Kim ECCK's valued member, Yulchon LLC, is pleased to announce the return of Keejeong Kim to the firm. With extensive international experience, Keejeong brings deep expertise in intellectual property disputes, technology transfer agreements, IT and software matters, and regulatory challenges in the mobility sector. Having advised both domestic and global clients across industries, Keejeong’s proven ability to navigate complex cross-border legal challenges makes him an invaluable addition to Yulchon’s IP & Technology team. For more details: https://lnkd.in/g5Nzme5e

The ECCK Busan Year-End Party 2024 was successfully held on December 11 at Park Hyatt Busan under the theme "Melodies of Christmas." This event was one of the most significant gatherings of the ECCK Busan Chapter, with over 130 participants who made the night truly delightful. The evening began with a heartwarming choir performance by students from the International School of Busan (ISB), spreading Christmas cheer and setting the tone for a festive night. The lively performance by the Wena Band further enhanced the celebratory atmosphere. Guests also enjoyed various games, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. Following a brief presentation by the Busan-jinhae Free Economic Zone (BJFEZ), the night continued with the Best Dressed Awards, Early Bird prizes, and an engaging raffle draw. This special evening was made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors, including BJFEZ, ISB, BFS (Busan Foreign School), Wallem Shipping, and Singapore Airlines. Their contributions ensured the success and unforgettable nature of the event. The raffle prizes and gifts were generously sponsored by Bosch Rexroth, Busan Cinema Center, Dongbaek Samgyetang, Fairfield by Marriott Busan Songdo Beach, Haribo, LGC, NBA, Park Hyatt Busan, Turmbrau, Skyline Luge, and Synnove. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the Hee Rak Foundation for Children. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors for their continuous support and to all the participants who joined us for this special evening. Your presence made the night more joyful and memorable. We look forward to seeing you at future events! To check out the event photos, please visit the ECCK Album on Flickr: https://lnkd.in/gcXNvQ2C #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry #BusanChapter #Busan #YearEndParty with #BJFEZ #ISB #BFS #WallemShipping #SingaporeAirlines #BoschRexroth #BusanCinemaCenter #DongbaekSamgyetang #FairfieldbyMarriottBusanSongdoBeach #Haribo #LGC #NBA #ParkHyattBusan #Turmbrau #SkylineLuge #Synnove

On December 10, the ECCK hosted its final HR & Compliance Forum in 2024. The event began with remarks from Stefan Ernst, ECCK President, and Hee Woong Yoon, Managing Partner at Yulchon LLC. This was followed by a session on Labor Law Wrap-Up and Expectations presented by Jungwoo Lee YulchonLLC of Yulchon LLC, and a discussion on Rightsizing and Separation in Korea, including a SAPA Update, led by Anthony Chang, Chair of the ECCK HR & Compliance Forum, with insights from Shin & Kim LLC. #EuropeanChamberofCommerce #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry #Forum #HR #Compliance with #YulchonLLC #ShinandKimLLC

[Members&Partners] What is a corporate supporters of MSF? It is a partnership program allows your company to support Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) under its name, facilitating the delivery of stable medical assistance in conflict, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare around the world. It represents a sustained commitment to addressing urgent humanitarian crises and improving access to healthcare for people in medical neglected zones worldwide.   There are no borders in saving lives. 📌Learn more about a corporate partner of MSF Korea: https://lnkd.in/gXebd2AY   #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry with #국경없는의사회 #msf #doctorswithoutborders

On December 11, ECCK held Breakfast Meeting with MOEL (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Minister Kim Moon Soo. Minister Kim shared his insights and views on Korean Employment and labor policy direction. Minister Kim is striving to create more jobs and create a safer and more secure workplace by achieving labor reform. Minister Kim has emphasized that it is a high time for labor reform to be rushed in line with the changing times, since the fertility rate is so low, and the industry is changing as well as wage system and working hour system in Korea are quite rigid. MOEL announced a plan to reorganize the salary system to a job and performance-based wage system. Also, MOEL is working on standards for which industries should be flexible in applying the 52-hour work week system. ECCK agree with his labor reform initiatives and deeply appreciate his hard work for the labor reform. In that sense, ECCK would like to continue the fruitful relationship with the MOEL and further contribute to the betterment of the business environment of Korea. #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry with #MinistryofEmploymentandLabor

On December 10, ECCK Vice President Bo Sun Kim attended the Seoul Metropolitan Government Emergency Meeting for Economic Affairs at City Hall. Seoul Metropolitan Government held the meeting to minimize the economic impact of the political chaos following the Martial Law. Mayor Oh Se-hoon hosted the meeting, inviting ECCK, AmCham, KCCI, and K-BIZ (Korea Federation of SMEs), etc. and said, “we will restore the trust of overseas investors,” and “we will actively utilize Seoul’s economic infrastructure to promote investment opportunities and continue to identify difficulties in the financial industry.” Mayor Oh emphasized, “Seoul Metropolitan Government will spare no effort in providing support, prioritizing the safety of citizens and the economy.” #EuropeanChamberofCommerce #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry with #SeoulMetropolitanGovernment

🌍 𝐄𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 🌍 The European Business Organisation Worldwide Network (EBOWN) Asbl is proud to launch the Business Sentiment Report 2024-2025. 🤝 The report serves as a comprehensive guide for European businesses and a valuable resource for policymakers when navigating global markets. Developed collaboratively by European Business Organisations (EBOs) across six regions—Africa, the Americas & Caribbean, ASEAN, East Asia & Pacific, Europe & Eastern Partnership, and South & Middle East—it offers a thorough analysis of diverse economic landscapes. 💡 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 The report explores key topics, including business and investment environments, political and economic challenges, regulatory changes, sectoral opportunities, legal risks, and critical themes like ESG standards, supply chain resilience, and EU policy alignment. 📖 Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/4g0duXq

On December 6, ECCK Chairperson Philippe van Hoof attended a Roundtable meeting with Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun at KCCI. Chairperson Philippe shared his opinion as follows: “The swift lifting of martial law, following its dramatic declaration, demonstrated that Korea’s democratic system is not only functioning effectively but also deeply rooted. This resolution highlights the strength and resilience of Korea’s democratic culture. Although there were initial market impacts, including a sharp decline in the value of the won and corporate stock prices, the stabilization of markets within six hours of the National Assembly’s decision underscores the resilience of the Korean economy. With financial authorities taking swift and effective measures, we remain optimistic about a positive recovery, including the reversal of any temporary foreign capital outflows. As martial law was promptly lifted in accordance with constitutional and legal processes, the economic impact is expected to be limited. European companies operating in Korea continue to have strong confidence in the Korean government and are maintaining their business activities without disruption. For foreign investors, the fundamentals of the Korean economy outweigh external factors. We hope the Korean government continues focusing on strengthening these economic fundamentals, aligning domestic standards with global best practices, and protecting Korea’s long-term sovereign credit rating to ensure sustained growth and stability in future.” #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry with #MinistryofEconomyandFinance #MinistryofTradeIndustyandEnergy

On November 28, ECCK CFO Forum was held where participants were able to gain insight under the theme of ‘Transformation with AI Automation for CFOs’. SeungHeon Baek and Myung Geun Choi from UiPath Korea shared valuable understanding of automation technology developments including recent integration with AI. Both business and technical insights regarding evolution from simple RPA(Robotic Process Automation) to emergence of generative AI were covered as well as best practices, strategic considerations and technical demonstrations of the autonomous future in the finance and corporate digital innovation. The session was followed by an interactive Q&A among the CFOs and the discussion was carried on to dinner. Taking this opportunity, we would like to share our immense appreciation to UiPath Korea and all the CFOs for joining the forum. ECCK CFO Forum aims to provide relevant insights and networking opportunities exclusively for the CFOs of European companies operating in Korea. If you are interested in joining the upcoming sessions, please contact CFO Forum Manager Siyoon Kim (T: +82 2 6261 2713 | E: [email protected]) at any time. #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry #Forum #CFO with #UiPath

On the morning of Nov 28, the ECCK successfully hosted a Tax Forum under the title “Transfer Pricing and Customs Journey in Korea”. The session was led by Young Lee and Dong Sup Seo from KPMG Korea, providing guidance to foreign invested companies on recent trends in tax audits in Korea, strategies to mitigate transfer pricing risks and developments in customs compliance. We would like to sincerely thank KPMG Korea for this informative session.   The ECCK Tax forum is a cross-industry forum consisted of all tax related professionals and C-levels of industry member companies. If you would like to join future session, please feel free to contact ECCK Tax Forum manager Siyoon Kim ([email protected]). #EuropeanChamberofCommerceinKorea #ECCK #주한유럽상공회의소 #EuropeanBusiness #KoreanIndustry #Forum #Tax with #KPMG