Invest KOREA

A FULL VLOG Tour of Invest KOREA Summit 2025 with Lee Hye-sung

*스크립트*

[Intro: Lee Hye-sung]

Hello, I'm Lee Hye-sung. Today marks the start of the Invest Korea Summit 2025, Korea's largest investment promotion event. This year's IKS is held in conjunction with APEC 2025 Korea, so expectations are higher than ever. I'll be representing KOTRA TV to bring you all the details.

The Invest Korea Summit 2025 is one of Korea's leading IR events where companies, local governments, government officials, and foreign media gather to explore the attractiveness of investing in Korea. I heard that last year's event was amazing, so let's find out which industries will be in the spotlight this year.

At the Invest Korea conference, companies like Naver Cloud and FuriosaAI gave presentations on Korea's digital AI industry. We were able to see firsthand Korea's potential growth and advancements in the emerging AI sector. I can't wait to find out what exactly captured the attention of global investors. For more details, let's meet with one of the foreign investors in person.

[Interview 1: Andrew Blazenko]

Hye-sung: Hello, it's great to meet you.

Andrew: Great to meet you.

Hye-sung: Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Andrew: Yeah, my name is Andrew Blazenko. I'm a founder of Eterna Equity, and we invest in private companies.

Hye-sung: From the perspective of a foreign investor, what makes Korea such an attractive place to invest in?

Andrew: The connections that you make and the support that companies get are very impressive. From what I've seen today, you're at the forefront of technology. For a business to grow, you really need good backing from the government and technology, and I think that's what you get in Korea.

Hye-sung: How were the presentations on Korea's AI technology?

Andrew: Inspiring. Most of the people delivering speeches or fireside chats are at the forefront of AI. This is information you can't just research or Google. These guys have the knowledge in their heads and they are sharing it. I think the future in Korea is going to be very bright.

Hye-sung: Thank you for your participation, and I hope you invest more in Korea.

Andrew: Will do. Most definitely. Thank you.

[Interview 2: Mark Cannon]

Hye-sung: Hello! Can you introduce yourself?

Mark: Yes. Hi, my name is Mark Cannon. I'm the CTO and co-founder of Hydrogen in Motion.

Hye-sung: Wow, a CTO! So, from the perspective of a foreign investor, what makes Korea such an ideal partner for investment?

Mark: Hydrogen in Motion has developed a way of storing hydrogen in a smaller, safer form factor at a lower cost, which makes the use of hydrogen easier for people. We look at Korea as a leader in applying hydrogen with projects like your "Hydrogen City." We're also sort of a technical marvel; like you guys manufacture and build things very well. We are looking to team up with someone in Korea to build a plant so they can make our storage material locally to be sold in Southeast Asia. That is why I'm here.

Hye-sung: Korea has an excellent manufacturing infrastructure. I hope that you invest in Korea more.

Mark: Oh, yes. We plan on it. We definitely do.

As he mentioned, one of the key themes of this year's Invest Korea is the future of cutting-edge industries. From AI-driven IT and semiconductors to mobility and biotechnology, it's clear that Korea has built a strong supply chain. Think about it: Korea as an innovation AI partner. What an exciting prospect!

Now, let's meet one of the honorary ambassadors of Invest Korea who can tell us more about Korea's outstanding industrial ecosystem and investment environment.

[Interview 3: Michael Danagher]

Hye-sung: Good morning. Nice to meet you. Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Michael: Of course. My name is Michael Danagher. I'm the honorary representative for foreign investment promotion in Canada for Invest Korea. Regarding my connection with Korea, I served three times here as a career diplomat. I hope that gives me a sufficient level of expertise and knowledge about the country.

Hye-sung: I heard you also took part in last year's Invest Korea. What is your impression of this year's event?

Michael: Well, both events are similar, but except for the background context. We're living in a very different world in terms of the geopolitical implications of trade, and I think that really puts a lot more focus on opportunities that are emerging in other countries. From a Canadian point of view, we're very interested in the Indo-Pacific. Our Prime Minister is in Korea at the moment for APEC Korea. Another issue, of course, is digitalization and the emergence of new technologies, particularly AI. It's going to create a lot of anxiety and dislocation but also a lot of opportunity. It's not that these issues weren't discussed last year but I think there's a sharper focus on these this year.

Hye-sung: Could you briefly share why you believe Korea is such an excellent destination for investment?

Michael: Part of it is the market orientation of the economy. There are not too many market economies in the Indo-Pacific region. Korea is, of course, a member of the OECD, so it's a committed member of that community. Apart from that, Korea has strong fundamentals. We learned yesterday about the M.AX initiative and the application of AI into manufacturing. Korea has shown itself to be a very important manufacturer across many different sectors—not only in areas where Korea is a world leader like shipbuilding or OLED but now also in defense industries and biopharma. The opportunities are just increasing.

Hye-sung: Thank you for sharing your perspectives on investment invironment.

Michael: My great pleasure. I'm glad to be here.

[Closing: Lee Hye-sung]

You can see how well each region and the government are supporting businesses through various programs with incentives and tax benefits designed to be truly business-friendly. With such proactive support, stable infrastructure, and advanced technology as well as an open market environment, Korea presents new opportunities for global investors.

[Interview 4: Kim Jong]

Hye-sung: Now, let's meet someone who can tell us more about the government policies and investment promotion initiatives. Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Jong-tae: Yes. My name is Kim Jong-tae from Invest Korea, and I am one of the people responsible for organizing and managing this event, the Invest Korea Summit 2025.

Hye-sung: This year's summit is amazing. Could you tell us more about the event and the various support programs offered by the government and Invest Korea?

Jong-tae: This is Korea's national investor relations event, staged every year with the full backing of the government and it's one of its kind. I'd like to give you a brief overview of Invest Korea. Invest Korea is the investment promotion division of KOTRA, which stands for the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. In 1998, the responsibility for attracting foreign direct investment was added to KOTRA's mandate, leading to the establishment of the Korea Investment Support Center, which later evolved into what we now call Invest Korea.

Hye-sung: What does Invest Korea do to promote the business environment in Korea?

Jong-tae: Since then, we've been working to position Korea as a major player on the global investment map. We make sure investors receive comprehensive end-to-end support, from initial inquiries to post-investment operations. Whether it's helping investors connect with local governments and businesses, providing market and policy information, or helping them navigate Korea's regulatory landscape, our mission is to make their process as smooth and seamless as possible. It's clear that one of the driving forces behind Korea's growth in AI and other advanced industries, as well as its global business expansion, is the strong support from the Korean government and organizations like KOTRA and especially, Invest Korea.

[Conclusion]

Hye-sung: Thanks to the support from Invest Korea, Korea could see remarkable growth in various industrial sectors. 

[Interview 5: David Sanghui Lee]

Hye-sung: Wow, your presentation was impressive! Could you briefly introduce yourself?

David: Hi, my name is David Lee. I'm the Director of Global Business Development at Ssenstone, one of the startups that pitched today.

Hye-sung: How was the presentation?

David: I was nervous but I'm very satisfied with how it went.

Hye-sung: What is your impression of this Invest Korea Summit?

David: It was my first time participating in a KOTRA event. It was a good opportunity for us to present ourselves to various venture capitalists and investors. Overall, it was a very good experience.

Hye-sung: I hope more global investors come to your company. I'm rooting for your business!

[Outro: Lee Hye-sung]

How was your time exploring the Invest Korea Summit 2025 held in conjunction with APEC 2025? Through today's event, we could see Korea's strong capabilities in advanced industries and its potential as an AI innovation partner. I can't wait to see how many more investors and companies will take part in next year's Invest Korea summit.

If you're interested in KOTRA or would like to learn more about Invest Korea, feel free to reach out anytime. See you again at next year's Invest Korea Summit. Bye!