THE Korean Chamber of Commerce Philippines (KCCP) will be spearheading a business delegation to South Korea this month that will look into potential partnerships between companies from the two countries.
KCCP President Ho-ik Lee said the activity will be in partnership with the Philippine Korea Economic Council and will bring 25 Philippine companies to gauge interests for possible business tie-ups.
“We have a delegation going to Korea for business matching. There will be meetings with advanced factories and companies like Samsung and LG Electronics,” Lee said, while adding that the Philippine Embassy in Korea will also be involved.
Lee believes there are business opportunities present for the Philippine companies that will be joining the trip. He said companies joining them range from those in the construction industry to hotels and restaurants.
According to Lee, the Philippines is now an attractive destination for Korean companies because it is now being considered as an emerging market. He said Korean companies are very willing to meet with their Filipino counterparts.
“China is no longer labor intensive. Companies are now looking for new places to establish their manufacturing plants,” Lee said.
Lee added that membership in the KCCP has been increasing over the past several years, as the Philippine economy continued on a healthy growth path.
He said they are very interested in having more Korean companies join the business chamber. They are also looking at having Philippine-based companies to start investing in Korea.
For the year, the KCCP is looking to further expand its presence in the southern part of the Philippines.
“We are looking at the possibility of reopening our Cebu and Davao offices,” Lee said, while adding that they also used to have a Boracay office.
Most of the member-companies of the KCCP currently are based within the Metro Manila area.
Lee has mentioned in the past that once the Philippines further opens up its economy, Korean companies will commit more investments and start businesses, not only in Metro Manila, but also in places like Baguio, Cebu and Davao.
Image credits: Rodel Alzona