(SEOUL, Oct. 23 TexasN)
Seok-Yeon Lee, chairman of South Korea’s National Integration Committee, met with a delegation of next-generation business leaders(IGN) from the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce (FKACC-USA) on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation between South Korea and the United States and to support Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expanding into the U.S. market.
The luncheon meeting in Seoul brought together Moon-Sun Kang, senior vice president of FKACC-USA, Chang-Heon Lee, chairman of the federation’s Southern Region, former Texas state representative Jacey Jetton, and 16 other young Korean American business leaders.
Lee expressed his appreciation for the group’s role in deepening U.S.-Korea economic ties and helping Korean SMEs gain a foothold in the U.S. market.
“Expanding overseas markets through the global Korean network has been a major boost for our small and medium-sized enterprises,” Lee said. “Even amid today’s challenging external economic conditions, cooperation with our overseas business communities will help us overcome the difficulties together.”
He added that although divisions over politics, generations, and gender have deepened in Korean society, “respecting differences within the framework of constitutional values is the starting point of true national integration.”
Lee also pledged to “do his utmost as chairman to restore a sense of community and unity among the Korean people.”
Federation Serves as Bridge for U.S.–Korea Economic Cooperation
Founded in 1980, the Federation of Korean American Chambers of Commerce (FKACC-USA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the rights and supporting the growth of Korean American entrepreneurs. It provides legal, educational, and market development assistance and actively helps Korean SMEs enter the U.S. market.
The delegation visiting Korea is part of the federation’s next-generation group, IGN (Innovation & Growth Network), composed of young entrepreneurs leading the Korean American business community. The group’s three-day visit, from Oct. 22 to 24, aims to strengthen cooperation with Korean companies and explore new opportunities for collaboration in the U.S. market.
Kang Moon-Sun, senior vice president of FKACC-USA, said the Korean American community in the U.S. “represents a successful model of unity within diversity,” adding that “the concept of national integration should extend beyond Korea to include overseas Koreans.”
She also emphasized the need for better cooperation with government agencies and corporations to help Korean businesses enter the U.S. market. Kang additionally called for improvements in authentication systems that currently make it difficult for overseas Koreans to use Korean mobile applications, and suggested expanding exchanges between overseas Korean scientists and professionals and their counterparts in Korea.
“True National Integration Must Include Overseas Koreans”
After the meeting, Chairman Lee said the gathering was “a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm the values of cooperation and unity with the next generation of leaders in the Korean American community.”
“True national integration can only be achieved when it embraces all Koreans, including those living overseas,” Lee said. “As the Korean American community enters a new generation beyond its 120-year history, I urge young leaders to preserve their Korean identity and lead their communities in harmony and growth.”
Lee added that the National Integration Committee would review the group’s suggestions and discuss them with relevant government ministries for possible inclusion in future policy plans.
Catherine Wahrmund amiangs0210@gmail.com
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