KOTRA

Last updated
KOTRA
코트라
Founded1962 (as the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation)
Headquarters13 Heolleungno, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Rep. of Korea
Key people
Yu Jeoung Yeol (CEO since May 2021)
ProductsTrade-Investment Promotion
Owner Government of South Korea
Website www.kotra.or.kr

KOTRA (Korea Trade Promotion Corporation initially, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency since 1995) is a state-funded trade and investment promotion organization operated by the Government of South Korea. [1] KOTRA was established in 1962 as a national trade promotion organization. [2] Since then, it has facilitated Korea's rapid[ citation needed ] export-led economic development through various trade promotion activities such as overseas market surveys, SME export promotion, trade info services, government-to-gov't export, foreign investment in Korea (FDI) promotion and business matchmaking.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Activities

In August 1995, cross-border investment promotion and support for technological and industrial cooperation projects were added to KOTRA's mandate, and it was renamed the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).

KOTRA currently operates Invest KOREA, the national investment promotion agency. Originally initiated as the Korea Investment Service Center (KISC) in 1998, the agency was relaunched as Invest KOREA in November 2003 to support foreign investors with an expanded range of services.

KOTRA now pursues its twin mandates of trade and investment promotion to enhance national prosperity and competitiveness, with the goal of positioning Korea as the business and economic hub of East Asia. With its experience and expertise, KOTRA assists interested parties worldwide to do business with Korea.[ citation needed ]

To take advantage of the era of E-Commerce, KOTRA launched the interactive internet portal sites of Invest KOREA Online (formerly Cyber KISC) in 2003 and BuyKorea in 2004.

KOTRA Academy was launched in 2003 as a professional learning center for international business. It is intended that KOTRA's trade and investment manpower will bolster the nation's trade and investment infrastructure.[ citation needed ] 125 overseas liaison offices covering 85 countries for trade-related information & promotion with over 1,000employees as of 2016, END.Jan.

KOTRA Seal of Excellence

KOTRA Seal of Excellence KOTRA Seal of Excellence.jpg
KOTRA Seal of Excellence

The KOTRA Seal of Excellence is a seal that KOTRA gives to companies which it deems qualified according to three major criteria. These are: Quality, High Technology, and Trustworthiness. As of June 2010, KOTRA has awarded the seal to 430 different companies. The purpose of the seal is to help foreign companies to identify quality products and companies in Korea. [3]

Overseas Offices

In order to execute its mandates more efficiently, KOTRA has opened an extensive worldwide network of overseas Korea Trade Centers (KTC). As of November 28, 2020, KOTRA has a network of 127 offices in 84 countries worldwide with 10 of the regional headquarters. The North American offices are located in Washington D.C., New York City, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Toronto and Vancouver.

KOTRA's International Networks in the 1960s
YearTrade CentersNo. of New Offices
1962 New York City, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok 4
1964 Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Jakarta, Tehran, Nairobi 10
1965 Osaka 11
1966 London, Amsterdam, Milan, Geneva, Hamburg, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, Montreal, Panama, Naha, Sydney, Johannesburg 24
1968 Manila 25
1969 Paris, Hamburg, Santiago, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Caracas, Lima, Tunisia, Kuwait, Nairobi, Vancouver, Dallas 39
Global Office Locations (As of 31 May 2021) [4]
CountryLocationRegion
Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria Algiers Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina Buenos Aires Central and South America
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Melbourne South East Asia & Oceania
Sydney
Flag of Austria.svg Austria Vienna Europe
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan Baku Russia & CIS
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh Dhaka South Asia
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus Minsk Russia & CIS
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Brussels Europe
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil São Paulo Central and South America
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria Sofia Europe
Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia Phnom Penh South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Toronto North America
Vancouver
Flag of Chile.svg Chile Santiago Central and South America
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Beijing China
Changchun
Changsha
Chengdu
Chongqing
Dalian
Guangzhou
Hangzhou
Harbin
Hong Kong
Nanjing
Qingdao
Shanghai
Shenyang
Shenzhen
Tianjin
Wuhan
Xi'an
Xiamen
Zhengzhou
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia Bogotá Central and South America
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia Zagreb Europe
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba Havana Central and South America
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Prague Europe
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark Copenhagen
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Central and South America
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador Quito
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt Cairo Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia Addis Ababa Africa
Flag of Finland.svg Finland Helsinki Europe
Flag of France.svg France Paris
Flag of Germany.svg Germany Frankfurt
Hamburg
Munich
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana Accra Africa
Flag of Greece.svg Greece Athens Europe
Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala Guatemala City Central and South America
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary Budapest Europe
Flag of India.svg India Ahmedabad South Asia
Bangalore
Chennai
Kolkata
Mumbai
New Delhi
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Jakarta South East Asia & Oceania
Surabaya
Flag of Iran.svg Iran Tehran Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq Baghdad
Flag of Israel.svg Israel Tel Aviv
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Milan Europe
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast Abidjan Africa
Flag of Japan.svg Japan Fukuoka Japan
Nagoya
Osaka
Tokyo
Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan Amman Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Almaty Russia & CIS
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya Nairobi Africa
Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait Kuwait City Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Laos.svg Laos Vientiane South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Libya.svg Libya Tripoli Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia Kuala Lumpur South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Mexico City Central and South America
Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Russia & CIS
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco Casablanca Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique Maputo Africa
Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar Yangon South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Amsterdam Europe
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Auckland South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Lagos Africa
Flag of Oman.svg Oman Muscat Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Karachi South Asia
Flag of Panama.svg Panama Panama City Central and South America
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay Asuncion
Flag of Peru.svg Peru Lima
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines Manila South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Poland.svg Poland Warsaw Europe
Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar Doha Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Romania.svg Romania Bucharest Europe
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Moscow Russia & CIS
Novosibirsk
Saint Petersburg
Vladivostok
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia Riyadh Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia Belgrade Europe
Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Singapore South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia Bratislava Europe
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Johannesburg Africa
Flag of Spain.svg Spain Madrid Europe
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Colombo South Asia
Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan Khartoum Africa
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Stockholm Europe
Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland Zurich Europe
Flag of Syria.svg Syria Damascus Middle East & North Africa
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Taipei China
Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania Dar es Salaam Africa
Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand Bangkok South East Asia & Oceania
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Istanbul Middle East & North Africa
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Kyiv Russia & CIS
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates Dubai Middle East & North Africa
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom London Europe
Flag of the United States.svg United States Chicago North America
Dallas
Detroit
Los Angeles
New York City
Silicon Valley
Washington, D.C.
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan Tashkent Russia & CIS
Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam Da Nang South East Asia & Oceania
Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City

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References

  1. "Kotra is not a tourist agency" Korea JoongAng Daily October 19, 2013. Retrieved on December 2, 2013.
  2. "(Editorial) Appointing Presidents at State Companies" Hankyoreh" April 12, 2005. Retrieved on December 2, 2013.
  3. "KOTRA Seal of Excellence". Archived from the original on 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  4. "KOTRA". www.kotra.or.kr. Retrieved 2021-05-31.