Industrial fair is first to be hosted by Korea, China, Japan

Korea, China and Japan will unite to hold the Korea China Japan Industrial Fair 2007 at Kintex in northern Gyeonggi province from June 13-16.
“The fair is the first of its kind to be hosted by three East Asian countries,” said Park Bum-hoon, director general at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or Kotra.
“We are planning to nurture this event as one of the main industrial events in East Asia, the world’s most dynamic region,” Park said.
The fair organizers originally planned the event to promote trade of parts and material, but after the first Qingdao fair in China last year, the fair was expanded to virtually all industries.
“Unlike last year, bigger companies like Haier, Samsung and Sony are ready to set up booths,” said Park.
Kim Gun-young, director at Kotra, said, “After the Korea-United States free trade agreement, Japan seems to have more interest in this event.”
More than 65 companies from China are scheduled to take part in this event, and seven Korean conglomerates also stated their intention to have booths. The event is jointly organized by Kotra, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Japan External Trade Organization. Commerce ministries of the respective countries will sponsor the exhibition. The 10,000-square-meter space will be equally divided.
The official Web site for the program is www.kjcbusinessfair.org. Applications can be submitted until April 30.

By Hwang Young-jin Staff Writer [yhwang@joongang.co.kr]