By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Youn Young-mi, chairperson of the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), met with Ambassador Wilfried Georg Schmidt at the German Embassy in Seoul to discuss ways to expand trade between the two countries, the Korea Importers Association announced on June 26.

Ambassador Schmidt expressed his hope that the two countries would work closely together to expand trade amid the spread of protectionism and deepening global uncertainty. He also requested that the association take an active role in resolving non-tariff barriers, which are cited as a major obstacle to trade between the two countries.

In response, Chairman Youn said, “Germany is an important trading partner with whom we can cooperate in various fields such as technology, food, and energy, and its importance is becoming even more prominent in terms of stabilizing consumer prices and strengthening the global supply chain.”

She added that she hopes to expand the scope of cooperation through cultural exchanges that combine the food and beverage cultures of the two countries.

In the afternoon, she met with Allou Wanyou Eugène Biti, the Ambassador of Côte d'Ivoire to South Korea, in the association's reception room to discuss measures to activate trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Biti said, “Côte d'Ivoire is a key African country with high growth potential in various items such as fruits, raw materials, and mineral resources. I hope to strengthen the trade foundation by expanding transportation infrastructure between the two countries and solidify our strategic partnership.”

In response, Youn said, “I expect that trade between the two countries will become more active through improvements in transportation and infrastructure,” and added, “We will actively work to expand trade with Côte d'Ivoire and other African countries at the association level.”