The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry summer forum opened on the 16th at the Lahan Select Hotel in Gyeongju. The KORCHAM summer forum is the largest economic forum in the country, which started in 1974, and this year it was held in Gyeongju, the host city for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit taking place in October, about 100 days away.
This forum was attended by over 500 representatives from major corporations in the country, including Chey Tae-won, chairperson of KORCHAM, along with the national chamber chairpersons, Park Seung-hee, president of Samsung Electronics, Lee Hyung-hee, chairperson of SK Communications, Ha Beom-jong, president of LG, Lee Tae-gil, president of Hanwha, Kim Sun-kyu, chairperson of Hoban Group, and Jeong Gi-ok, chairperson of LS C Foods. Kim Min-seok, the Prime Minister, delivered a keynote speech at this event, which marked his first meeting with the economic community since taking office.
During the forum, KORCHAM will hold meetings with APEC Special Committee Commissioner Kim Ki-hyun, Democratic Party of Korea General Secretary Jeong Il-young, and People Power Party General Secretary Lee Man-hee, as well as conduct site visits and operate APEC promotional booths. Additionally, the forum participants will experience major restaurants and tourist attractions in Gyeongju, and evaluations and feedback will be collected to reflect in the event preparations.
Following last year, an 'AI talk show' will also be held at this year's forum. The talk show, which Chey Tae-won will attend, will be moderated by Chung Shina, CEO of Kakao, and will feature panelists including Yeo Sang-wook, CEO of Washiswat, Kim Jin-woo, CEO of Liner, Lee Ye-ha, CEO of VUNO, and Jang Young-jae, a professor at KAIST. The talk show will be broadcast live from 9:20 a.m. on the 18th through KORCHAM's official YouTube channel.
Lectures were also arranged to discuss future industries centered around advanced technology. Kim Jeong-sang, a professor at Duke University and co-founder of IonQ, the first publicly traded quantum computing company in the U.S., will introduce the landscape of future industries based on quantum technology and global technology hegemony strategies. Kim Jeong-kyun, CEO of Boryung, will share strategies for seizing new industries such as cosmic medicine.
A lecture that can provide new management insights has also been prepared. Professor Kang Seong-chun from Seoul National University will present a management philosophy that pursues the growth of employees alongside corporate sustainability under the theme of 'people-centered management.' Professor Hong Dae-soon from Kwangwoon University will introduce methods to bring about creative change in corporate management by merging artistic flair with advanced technology.
In addition, Professor Yoo Hong-jun from Myongji University will give a lecture on 'Gyeongju Studies' that introduces the history and culture of Gyeongju, while internal medicine specialist Jeong Hee-won will lecture on 'slow aging strategies' for a healthy old age.
During his opening remarks, Chey Tae-won said, 'If the APEC summit is a historical event signaling the recovery of democracy in Korea, the APEC CEO Summit will be a major showcase demonstrating the strength of the Korean economy.' He added, 'We will work closely with the government to make the APEC CEO Summit a platform for consolidation and cooperation among global corporations.'