300-9 Yomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-749, Republic of Korea

www.kotra.or.kr TEL: +82-2-3460-7114 FAX: +82-2-3460-7777

Fuel for Your Business Success!

The Driving Force behind World Trading Power!
Your global business partner!
KOTRA!
The world economy never sleeps. Neither does KOTRA.
From New York City to Damascus, from Beijing to Khartoum,
KOTRAs vast global network connects Korea to the rest of the world 24/7.
KOTRA again proved its mettle during the recent financial crisis, steering
Korea safely out of the economic doldrums with its creative strategies.
At KOTRA, we are proud to support the globalization of your business and
propel your enterprise to success.
As an organization underpinned by strong international business
expertise, KOTRA is everywhere that economic opportunities are,
supporting and accompanying Korea on its way to a greater future.

CONTENTS
01

Prologue

02

CEO Message

04

Major Accomplishments

08

Main Activities (Business Areas)

12

Main Activities (Roles)

16

Main Activities (FDI Inbound/Outbound)

20

Ethical Management

21

KOTRA Timeline / Organization Chart

CEO Message

Since being established in 1962 to assist with Koreas transformation into an export-driven nation, KOTRA has played an
indispensable role in the growth of the Korean economy.
During the 1960s-1970s, a period which saw rapid economic development in Korea, KOTRA spearheaded a campaign to
develop export channels overseas, ultimately helping Korea become one of the worlds largest trading nations. During the
1990s in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, Invest KOREA, Koreas national investment promotion agency, was
established, thus improving the systems with which to attract much-needed foreign investment that would help steer the
nation out of the crisis.
In the face of the recent global economic downturn, KOTRA has hosted large-scale trade shows such as Buy Korea which
have breathed new vitality into the Korean economy. KOTRAs efforts to support partnerships and cooperation between
Korean and overseas firms will continue unabated into the future. Going forward, the agency plans to increase its support
activities toward global cooperation in promising business fields including knowledge services, the medical, biotech and
green industries, and government procurement. In the coming years, KOTRA will also strive to stimulate international

Looking to Do Business with Korea?

KOTRA Can Help!

exchange in skilled human resources through Contact Korea, a division newly established in 2008. Furthermore, KOTRA
provides comprehensive support for inbound and outbound direct investment, and stands behind efforts to expand both
exports and imports.
As Korea looks forward to hosting the G20 Summit in 2010, becoming a responsible and contributing member of the
international community is an important goal as a nation. To this end, KOTRA will spare no effort to support promising
business projects with Korean firms, accompanying our clientele every step of the way on the path to success.
The support you have shown KOTRA so far is greatly appreciated and we hope this support and interest will continue far
into the future.

Hwan-Eik Cho, President & CEO of KOTRA

KOTRA
02
03

Major Accomplishments

A Successful

Creative Thinking and Innovative

Strategies for Success!
In the wake of the global financial crisis, some foreign media voiced pessimistic views
about Koreas economic outlook. At KOTRA, meanwhile, we remained confident about
Koreas ability to ride out the economic storm.
Thinking innovatively and acting boldly in the face of the crisis, we found the solution
through international trade. At KOTRA, we believe in innovation and strategy to turn
challenges into economic opportunities.

99

KOTRA

The worlds largest, economic network, consisting of 99

KBCs(Korea Business Center) located in 72 countries.
We bring the news from economic scenes worldwide to
keep your enterprises in Korea abreast with the latest
developments around the globe.

04
05

Major Accomplishments

KOTRAs
endeavor for
Koreas Brighter
Future continues

Major Trade Shows to Steer the Economy out of the

world economic Crisis!
Buy Korea, the trade show hosted by KOTRA on major export products of Korea,
provided it with opportunities and solutions to rise above the economic crisis
sweeping the world.
A US$ 27 million deal on airplane boarding bridges successfully negotiated with the BAA.

Supporting Multi-Party Cooperation with Global

Corporations to Boost the Competitiveness of businesses!
A project for joint R&D between Korean SMEs and Qualcomm and Sanofi-Aventis
and FDI in Korea is underway.
Opportunities for direct transactions with global corporations such as Toyota.
Marketing assistance toward Korean auto part makers such as GM Autoparts Plaza.

Joint Logistics Centers Serving as Overseas

Distribution Hubs!
KOTRAs joint logistics centers are set up in 21 major cities and regions around the
globe, including Shanghai, Antwerp and New York City.
Lowering logistics costs for SMEs for competitiveness of businesses.
Business meeting for large North-American online retail channels.

Effort to Identify Potential Overseas Buyers!

A new division (Bachatsa) in charge of identifying potential buyers and assisting
Korean businesses to obtain export deals.
New export deals worth US$ 19 million were made since the launch of Bachatsa.

Opening New Channels to Chinese Market!

Korean Product Direct Marketing Center set up by Alibaba, Chinas largest online retailer.
Xian KBC opened for developing western China.

Inroads into Overseas Government Procurement

Markets, Creating New Stable Export Channels!
KOTRA helped land an airport renovation project on seven UK airports, a five-year
project worth GBP 6.5 billion.
Government procurement support centers in three regions: North America
(Washington DC), UN (New York City), EU (London).
US Government Procurement Week hosted annually in Washington DC to promote
cooperation between Korean and US government suppliers and help make inroads
into the US federal procurement market.

KOTRA
06
07

Main Activities (Business Areas)

A Global Business

We Support
New Business Sectors and,
Change the Paradigm
in Overseas Marketing!
KOTRA has always been a trailblazer. Charting new economic frontiers never explored by anyone
else before has always been our goal. Over the forty-eight years of its existence, KOTRA has been
supporting SMEs expansion overseas. KOTRA regularly restructures itself to keep up with changing
business environments and to support new business sectors. At KOTRA, setting new milestones for
global business never stops.

2020

KOTRA

G-LEAD 2020 is a strategy by KOTRA for taking its role

beyond the current role of a trade and investment supporter to
that of a global economic partner, over a long term.

08
09

Main Activities (Business Areas)

We Broaden
Inroads into World
Markets for
Korean SMEs,
in Newly growing
Business Sectors

Future Business Sectors

At KOTRA, we concentrate our efforts on spreading the Korean
economic wave in promising new fields selected by the government as
new growth engine sectors, such as cultural content, knowledge
services and franchise industries. We actively support Korean firms
technology cooperation with global biotech firms and attract FDI in this
field, also play a facilitating role in Koreas gaining a solid footing in
overseas biotech markets.
KMCM (Korea Media Contents Market)
Korea-EU Cartoon Connection
Global Bio Medical Plaza

High Value-Added Manufacturing Industries

KOTRA provides support to traditional Korean manufacturing industries
which are competitive in the global market, such as machinery,
shipbuilding, electric power, textiles and consumer goods.
Aerospace Export Roadshow
Premiere Vision Textile Fair

Resource and Power Plant Construction

Projects
Recently, KOTRA has successfully assisted Korean firms in winning
the nuclear plant project in the UAE. We are working on identifying
other potential resource and power plant construction projects
overseas for which Korean technology may be a vital aid.

IT Industry
We support overseas expansion of Korean converged digital
technologies and solutions through various means. We have IT support
centers in Silicon Valley, Tokyo and Beijing, and assist export of eGovernment consulting and project services. Globalization of intelligent
transportation systems (ITS) is also our point of interest.
Global Mobile Vision
Korea Premium Tech Plaza
Support for the ITS project in Colombia

Global Electric Power Tech

International Resource Cooperation Forum

KOTRA Seal of Excellence Program

KOTRA issues a quality certification mark known as KOTRA Seal of
Excellence to Korean SMEs producing products of outstanding quality.
This certification, by guaranteeing the quality of Korean products, has
meaningfully contributed to improving their value in markets abroad.
KOTRA Seal of Excellence
KOTRA Seal of Excellence - Green

Low-Carbon Green Project

To help globalize green industries in Korea such as wind power and
solar energy, KOTRA carries out projects that closely address the
needs of each world region.
Green Hub Korea
Support toward CDM project contracting
Wind power generation equipment supply conference hosted in
Denmark, for officials of Vestas.

Global Human Resources Exchange

Another important area of activity at KOTRA is supplying Korean SMEs
with highly skilled overseas workers to meet their manpower needs. We
also regularly hold global career consulting meetings to help young
Korean job-seekers start their careers overseas.

www.contactkorea.go.kr

KOTRA
10
11

Main Activities (Roles)

A Global Market

We can Help SMEs Build a Global

Presence anywhere in the world!
KOTRA is carrying out projects to help small-medium sized Korean firms become a world player.
Using our in-depth knowledge of major trade issues and up-to-date information gathered by KBCs
in worldwide locations, we help Korean firms assess overseas market. We facilitate their
participation in industry fairs in Korea and abroad and engage in marketing support activities for
SMEs. KOTRA is developing trade and investment manpower, a critical asset for the Korean
economy. A dedicated supporter of Korean businesses, KOTRA will continue to be at the forefront
of trade activities to help them tap market opportunities in advance.

2,100

KOTRA

2,100 Korean SMEs are participating in a program

in which they use KOTRAs network of overseas
facilities as their branch offices.

12
13

Main Activities (Roles)

Up-to-date
Information on
Overseas Markets
and Effective
Market
Development
Strategies
for Greater
Competitiveness
for Korean
Businesses

Information

Service

Support

for Overseas Marketing

Trade and Market Information

Overseas Branch Program / Joint Logistics Centers

Latest trade information, collected by 99 KBCs (Korea Business

Centers), located in 72 countries around the world, is supplied in real
time, along with information on major import/export-related trade
issues, FTA and trends in trade regulation.

KOTRAs 99 KBCs located across the world, are used by Korean SMEs as
their overseas branch offices. With KBCs SMEs can receive support in
wide-ranging areas touching overseas marketing, from market research
to identification of export partners. Meanwhile, to facilitate Korean firms
logistics and distribution operations in overseas, we run joint logistics
centers in twenty-one cities around the globe, including Antwerp,
Amsterdam, London, New York, LA, Tokyo and Beijing.

Global Window: Trade and investment information portal

www.globalwindow.org

Overseas Branch Program: 99 KBCs worldwide.

Market Information by region

We routinely conduct analyses on economic trends in countries and
regions like China, Japan, North America, Central and South America,
Oceania, the Middle East and Africa and the CIS. The results of our
analyses, which are carried out from multiple angles, are disseminated
through various publications and seminars.
Export Seminar on the EU and Central and South American
Medical and Pharmaceutical Markets
ASEAN Market Development Seminar
Seminar on Making Inroads into Post-Crisis CIS Distribution Channels
Retail and Distribution in China at a Glance

Support

for Participation in Trade

Shows and Expos
Exhibitions and Conventions
KOTRA develops and updates marketing strategies for Korean products
by the region and industry, and provides support to firms for their
participation in exhibitions hosted overseas. KOTRA also operates the
Korean pavilion during the World EXPO, promoting Koreas cuttingedge technologies and economic success story.
Korean pavilion in World EXPO
Korean Product Show
GEP: Global Exhibition Portal

Global Sourcing
KOTRA assists Korean businesses gain access to raw materials, parts
and components industry by arranging supply deals from worldwide
sources. Activities carried out by KOTRA in this area include developing
strategies for promoting global sourcing and gathering and redistributing to Korean businesses supply offer information from firms
worldwide.
Collection of information on raw material, and parts and
components supply offers
Dispatching buying missions

KOTRA Academy
KOTRA Academy fosters experts in trade and investment, by offering
study programs ranging from basic business etiquette and manners to
international marketing. The academy also offers hands-on onsite
training to a selected group of interns to be assigned to overseas
organizations and assist with their job search and career orientation.
Overseas exhibition marketing
e-trade marketing
Overseas business schools
Global marketing specialists
FDI attraction PM

www.kotraacademy.com

www.gep.or.kr

KOTRA
14
15

Main Activities (FDI Inbound/Outbound)

A Reliable Investment

Korea, the New Global

Investment Center
in the Era of Borderless Investment!
KOTRA is the Trusted Bridge for Koreas Future as the New Global Center of Investment.
Using customized strategies, KOTRA attracts inward FDI by leading global corporations and taking
measures to change the investment environment in Korea more attractively. KOTRA also provides
support to Korean firms overseas ventures, assisting them with setting up a company and other
needed procedures and supplying local information related to the investment destination. As a global
business partner to accompany your business on its way to success, KOTRAs work to enhance the
national brand of Korea will continue into the future.

KOTRA

KOTRA, selected as the worlds best trade and

investment promotion organization by the WTO and ITC.
In 2009, KOTRA received the highest rating in a
management evaluation for public institutions.

16
17

Main Activities (FDI Inbound/Outbound)

Turning Korea
into a World
Leading
Investment
Destination

Investment

Attraction

KOTRA has targeted FDI strategies that are tailored to the specific
characteristics of each industry. We seek inward FDI from global
corporations ranging from machinery and automobile manufacturing
to the rapid-growing sectors of tomorrow such as biotech, IT and hightech industries. We also facilitate multi-party cooperation and
partnerships between firms, universities and research institutions and
global enterprises.
Global Alliance Project Series (Novartis, Qualcomm, Johnson&Johnson)

Support

for Korean Firms Investment

Overseas
KOTRA hosts seminars on potential overseas investment opportunities. In
addition to thoroughly-documented information on the investment
environment, we also offer information on intellectual property right laws
and assistance to Korean firms establishing a local corporation abroad,
and support their bid for large projects overseas. Our vast array of
overseas FDI services includes dispatching investment research teams to
prospective investment sites to gather preliminary information.

www.investkorea.org

Overseas Investment

Investor

Assistance

Invest Korea Plaza is a business incubating facility for foreign-invested

firms. Invest Korea Plaza offers office space at affordable prices,
provides total support services by linking external organizations
involved in FDI attraction such as investment attraction offices of local
administrations, accounting firms and banks.

One-Stop Administrative Support Services

At the Administrative Service Office of Invest Korea, foreign investors
can complete their FDI report and obtain information on FDI
procedures. Government officers stationed there, with discretionary
power granted to them by the head of their respective organizations,
process eleven types of administrative formalities onsite, including
entry and departure formalities, customs duty and tax-related
procedures.

Information System (OIS)

In collaboration with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and other thirty one
related organizations, KOTRA collects overseas investment information
worldwide and distribute to prospective Korean investors. The OIS (Overseas
Investment Information System) provides a complete range of information
about investing overseas, from the latest news about investment activities
worldwide to country-specific investment information. The system also
offers search services to look up Korean firms based in various world
locations, and publishes global investment statistics, columns on
investment-related topics and other key statistical data.

www.ois.go.kr

Overseas Investment Call Centers

Our investment specialists offer free phone consultations on investment
projects in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Tel. 1577-9524

Foreign-Investor Complaint Processing

The Foreign Investment Ombudsman, officially appointed by the
President of Korea, is responsible for reviewing and handling
complaints reported by foreign-invested firms operating in Korea.
Complaints brought to the attention of the Foreign Investment
Ombudsman are resolved through various channels, including one-toone consultation with home doctors who are specialists possessing
expertise in the field, hiring services and opening discussions between
government officials and CEOs of foreign-invested companies.
KOTRA
18
19

Ethical Management

KOTRA Timeline / Organization Chart

Are You About Creating a Better World?

So Is KOTRA!
At KOTRA, we believe in a better world and are doing our best to shape a brighter future for all.
We want our work to help bring a smile to everyone s face and make their lives happier and more fulfilled.
KOTRA will carry the hope and strive to usher in that better future for all.

The Epicenter of Korean Economic Growth,

KOTRA is Rewriting the History of World
Economy!
1962

Ethical

1997

1998

1999

Management

A Responsible and Customer-oriented Management

to Make KOTRA an Exemplary Corporate Citizen
Under its ethical management vision, A Responsible Global Citizen, KOTRA maintains
the highest ethical standards in carrying out its trade promotion and investment
activities, thereby contributing to the sustainable growth of the national economy.

Social

1995

The Korea Trade Promotion

Agency established.

2003

Renamed Korea TradeInvestment Promotion Agency.

KISC (Korea Investment

Service Center) opened.

2004

A new Foreign Investment

Support Center established.

2006

2008

The Office of Foreign Investment

Ombudsman opens its doors.

2009

Contributions

Social Contribution Activities in Wide-ranging Areas of

Korean Society

CRM - BSC introduced.

Invest KOREA created.

KOTRA invests in the leaders of tomorrow through a variety of cultural and educational
programs targeting young people worldwide. KOTRA is actively involved in the recovery
efforts in disaster-stricken areas and conducts regularly-scheduled mentoring
programs for children and youth from low-income families and families with
multicultural backgrounds. KOTRA also offers internship opportunities in Korea for
Korean youth living abroad to help nurture them into globally-competitive individuals.

Sharing

KOTRA receives the WTO/ITC

Award for the Worlds Best
Trade and Investment
Promotion Organization.

Activities

PRESIDENT

Rural Community Improvement Project

KOTRA staff periodically travel to Buraemi Village in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, under a longterm community program, to extend a helping hand during the busiest farming seasons.
Besides being an opportunity to help and share with others in the community, this program
also provides KOTRA staff a wholesome experience of rural life. The community service
club, Left Hands, composed of volunteers, is another way through which KOTRA staff
contributes to the welfare of the community. Members of Left Hands host events for elderly
persons living alone and help children and youth with their after-school learning activities.

A new building to house IKP

(Invest Korea Plaza) completed.

Contact KOREA created.

KOTRA receives top rating in the

management evaluation, in the
category of public institutions by
the Korean Government.

Comptroller-Auditors Office

Office of the President

Office of the Investment Ombudsman

Investment Aftercare Team

Public Relations Team

Management
Support Division

Overseas
Marketing Division

Strategic
Business Division

Trade
Information Division

Invest KOREA

Planning &
Coordination Dept.

Mainstay
Industry Dept.

Future
Business Dept.

Trade
Information Dept.

Investment
Planning Dept.

Operation
Support Dept.

SME Support Dept.

Green Industry
Dept.

Local
Information Dept.

Investment
Attraction Dept.

Overseas
Investment Support
Dept.

China Project Unit

Overseas
Expansion
Support Dept.

KOTRA Academy

Personnel
Affairs Team
Customer Center
Emergency
Planning Team

IT Industry Dept.
Exhibition &
Convention Dept.
EXPO Support Unit

Japan Project Unit

Administrative
Support Bureau
Investment and
Business
Support Dept.

Defense Trade
Support Center

Planning Team
Defense
Trade Team
Information
Analysis Team
GtoG
Support Team

Contact KOREA

KOTRA
20
21

Global Business Developer

Leading Korea
on its way to Success

Subway line no.2 (Gangnam Station) _ exit #6 Subway line no.3 (Yangjae Station) _ exit #7
From either subway station, take any of the buses listed below and get off at
Nonghyup Hanaro Mart, Hyundai-Kia Motors. Kotra is located across the street.