MEDIA ADVISORY
COMPTROLLER LIU VISITS SOUTH KOREA
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New York City Comptroller John C. Liu arrived in Seoul at the beginning of the week, kicking off a four-day trip to South Korea and Taiwan at the invitation of their respective governments in order to promote business and investment opportunities in the City as well as foster greater economic and cultural ties.
"This is my first trip to Korea, and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with so many government, industry, and nonprofit leaders so that we can deepen the economic, social, and cultural ties between New York City and this vibrant nation," Comptroller Liu said.
He met Monday with Seoul's Mayor, Park Won-soon, with whom he talked about financial transparency and accountability, education, and economic equality and shared prosperity. They also discussed ways to deepen relations between New York and Seoul. [Photo attached]
He also met with officers of the Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), including CEO Choi Chong-suk, and discussed best practices and infrastructure investment in New York City. Comptroller Liu thanked KIC for its $10 million order during New York City's 2010 Build America bond sale.
Later that day, he met with Dae-whan Chang [photo attached], chairman of MK News, one of Korea's foremost business newspapers, for a discussion about the responsibilities of the Comptroller's office.
Comptroller Liu wrapped up his first day with a cultural tour of Gyeongbok Palace, a historical monument.
On Tuesday, he met with the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Sung Kim, at the U.S. Embassy, and discussed U.S.-Korea relations and efforts to promote and strengthen economic ties.
He delivered a speech on economic development at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and was honored as an "honorary alumnus" by the university's president, Park Chul. [Photo attached]
Over the past two days, he has also met with officials from Doosan Group, an industrial concern, and Samsung Life Insurance.
"As a large institutional shareholder in these companies, on behalf of the New York City pension funds, I welcomed the opportunity to sit down with senior management to discuss performance and strategies for growth," Comptroller Liu said.
He met also with Director General Lee Baek-soon of the North American Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the official host of his visit.
And he met National Assembly Member Kim Jong-hoon, who helped negotiate the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
The rest of his trip:
Wednesday, Sept. 5 - Seoul
- Korean International Trade Association
- National Pension Service
- Overseas Koreans Foundation
- Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea
Thursday, Sept. 6 - Taipei
- Financial Supervisory Commission
- Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance (speech)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Vice President of Taiwan
- Ministry of Finance