The 14th Consumer and Retail Forum, hosted by ChosunBiz, opened on the morning of the 16th at the Westin Josun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul.
Now in its 14th year, the Consumer and Retail Forum is an event where ChosunBiz each year raises key issues in Korea's retail industry and seeks paths to survival and growth. This year's forum is held under the theme "In the AI era, how are choices made?"
Kim Young-su, CEO of ChosunBiz, emphasized in opening remarks that artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming consumption and the retail industry across the board. Kim said, "Consumers are now going beyond directly searching for needed products to discovering them through platform-recommended content and experiences," adding, "We are in an era where why a product was chosen matters more than what is purchased."
Kim continued, "At today's forum, we plan to discuss how consumer choices are changing in the AI era, and how corporations are creating new customer experiences," and added, "I hope this event serves as an opportunity to consider the future of the retail sector together and to find new avenues for growth."
Attendees included Yeom Tae-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, Choi Eun-seok of the People Power Party, and Nam Dong-il, vice chair of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, while Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon sent a congratulatory video message for the forum's opening. James Jang, CEO of Gmarket, Maeng Ji-seon, head of enterprise business development at AWS, and Yeo Myeong-rang, former head of the food business unit at Lotte Wellfood, delivered keynote speeches.