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| From left are Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang and McKinsey & Company Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels |
By Park Jae-hyuk
The Korea Times will host a forum, titled, "What We Want from the New Government," at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) building in Seoul, Tuesday.
President Yoon Suk-yeol took office as the nation's leader at a critical time when businesses are facing daunting challenges such as surging inflation, reduced consumption amid the pandemic and rising labor costs.
The new government is tasked with setting the foundations for a new take-off for Korean companies although the external business environment is turning worse amid heightened geopolitical risks, the U.S. Fed's interest rate hikes and surging raw material prices.
Against this backdrop, The Korea Times and global consulting firm McKinsey & Company have jointly planned the forum, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, to offer suggestions for the government and explore strategies for the sustainable growth of the Korean economy and businesses at this early stage of the new administration.
Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang will give an opening speech on Korea's economic and business vision under the Yoon administration.
His speech will be followed by a keynote speech by McKinsey Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels, who will talk about sustainability and digital transformation, both of which are regarded as key drivers of growth and essential prerequisites for the success of business.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will deliver a congratulatory speech.
During the first session, special lectures will be provided by McKinsey Partner Choi Seung-hyuk on corporate sustainability and ESG values, and by McKinsey Partner Pooya Nikooyeh on digital transformation.
The panel discussion on "What Korea needs to become a global business hub" will follow as the second session, moderated by McKinsey Partner Park Joong-ho.
The panelists are American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman James Kim, KCCI Executive Vice Chairman Woo Tae-hee, Korean Academic Society of Business Administration President Han Sang-man and European Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairperson Dirk Lukat, who is also Schenker Korea's CEO.
The audience members and guests at the forum will include top executives of major Korean financial groups, conglomerates and foreign businesses as well as ambassadors from various countries.
Both Korean and English interpretation services will be available.
The Korea Times will also livestream the forum on its official YouTube channel for those who did not receive invitations or pre-purchase tickets.
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