08/27/2014 14h43

Investe São Paulo at Expo Korea 2014

President of the Agency represents the State Governor at the opening of the event and awards Korean companies

Investe São Paulo

The president of Investe São Paulo, Luciano Almeida, attended the KBEE - Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2014, Expo Korea, held between August 13 and 15 at the World Trade Center, in São Paulo.

Organized by the Investment Promotion Agency of South Korea - Kotra and Korea’s Creative Content Agency - Kocca, the fair was created for the South Korean technology, software and creative industry companies to exhibit their products and exchange experiences.

“The importance of this event is not only to integrate our countries, but also the lessons that Korea offers us both in terms of culture and industrial development,” said Almeida, representing the Governor of the State of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, at the opening ceremony.

The ceremony featured the musical concert of the Korean bands Arko and Vixx. Vixx was nominated ambassador of KBEE. Along with the president of Kotra, Young Ho Oh, the group handed football equipment to the President of Vila Faccini Football Club.

“Expo Korea not only promotes the industry and Korean products, but the culture and lifestyle of our country,” said Ho Oh. The Korean Ambassador, Koo Bom-Woo, explained that the event takes place in major cities of the world, such as São Paulo. “The idea is to present the Korean economy in a different way,” he explained.

Social Responsibility

On the second day of the event, Almeida also attended the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award ceremony, created by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil (Kotcham), the Embassy of Korea and Kotra to award South Korea companies that stood out with works that promote environmental protection, health, education and community development.

“We know the importance of Korean investments in Brazil and also of their social responsibility initiatives. These companies are concerned about quality of life, causing not only the business to grow, but leading to the development of employees and the community” said the president of Investe São Paulo. He handed the award to Samsung.

“This event shows how the presence of Koreans has grown among Brazilian local communities. I wish that the entrepreneurs awarded today are not satisfied with what has already been done, but aware that they have a much bigger mission to accomplish than what has already been accomplished. The Korean companies are becoming known not only for their quality products, but for their contribution to society,” said Koo Bom-Woo.

The Congressman Walter Ihoshi also talked about the importance of the event. “Today, the state is not able to cope with all the demands of society, therefore, it is crucial that companies have an active participation in the community relations,” he said.

“Many people think that the South Korean community in Brazil is reserved, but this event proves that this image is wrong. Today, we brought several examples of what these companies are doing to improve the Brazilian society,” said the president of Kocham.

LG, Malagueta, Hyundai, Kotra, Samsung and Associação Cristã Beneficiente dos Coreanos [Christian Charity Association of Koreans] were awarded for their efforts in social responsibility. All of them presented their work and an employee of each one of these institutions was also awarded, representing the entire staff of the companies as the “employee of the year”.

At the end of the ceremony, the association of South Korean businessmen of Bom Retiro and Brás, represented by Young Chul Jikal, made a donation of hundreds of pieces of clothing to the Red Cross, represented by Denise Carvalho Silva.

About KBEE

Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo - Expo Korea 2014 is organized by Kotra and Kocca since 2010, when the event was held for first time in Bangkok. Since then, the fair has been to Paris, Osaka and London, respectively, bringing together companies and people interested in South Korea's culture, economy, and business, especially with respect to technology, culture, creative industry and software.

In 2014, it is estimated that the event welcomes approximately 20,000 visitors, with the exhibition of 250 companies - 50 of which are South Korean. Held at the World Trade Center in São Paulo, the event features concerts, food samples and bilateral meetings focused on business.