The visit to Korea of Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, from June 15th to June 17th 2008 was the first bilateral visit of a member of the French government in Seoul, since the election of President Lee Myung-Bak.The Minister of State for Foreign Trade went also with a delegation of 100 innovative and creative French Small and Medium Entreprises.
At this occasion, the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and the Economic Mission of Seoul (French Embassy) organized personnalized matching meetings for each SMEs, seminars, conferences, networking events and a French Evening with a cocktail and a Gala Dinner.
The delegation arrived on June 15th, 2008. A briefing and reception cocktail were organized. Briefings were made by Mrs. Anne-Marie Idrac, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, M. Philippe Li, President of the FKCCI, M. Antoine Chéry, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the French Embassy, M. Philippe Reynieix, President of the French Foreign Trade Advisors in South Korea (CCEF), two testimonies of French SMEs established in South Korea, with M. Laurent Cupiti, President of Lobel Korea, and M. Vincent Frambot, Representative Director of Hydro Aluminium Automotive Structures Korea.
On June the 16th, the French SMEs began their personnalized mission (meetings with Korean companies), several conferences and seminars were also organized in parallel. At 06:00pm started a Cocktail "à la française", prepared by French Chefs, all gathered for the first time by FKCCI, from Le Cordon Bleu (Philippe Bachmann, Laurent Beltoise, Franck Colombie, Jean-Pierre Gestin), The Bistro of Novotel Ambassador Gangnam (Didier Reibel), Le Saint-Ex (Franck Lamache), Café de Chef of Sofitel Ambassador Hotel (Philipp Zurbuchen), Paris Croissant Café / Lenôtre Paris (Jérémy Juanchich, Lee Young Sun), Champagne Veuve Cliquot and Aperitif à la française (Sopexa).
After the Cocktail "à la française", the FKCCI organized a French Evening Gala Dinner, gathering more than 300 guests, supported by the Economic Mission of Seoul and the French Foreign Trade Advisors, and sponsored by Aircalin, Dongwon Wineplus, Evian, French Chefs from Le Cordon Bleu, The Bistro of Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, Le Saint-Ex, Café de Chef of Sofitel Ambassador Hotel, Paris Croissant Café / Lenôtre Paris, Champagne Veuve Clicquot, Aperitif à la française, and Sopexa Coree. The evening was warmed up by different events: Wine Breathing Demonstration, National "Jeunes Commis Rôtisseurs" contest in French Cuisine Awards, Grand Prix of CCEF for VIE 2008, and a lucky winner of an airflight ticket Seoul-Noumea offered by Aircalin.
On June the 17th, the FKCCI, the Economic Mission of Seoul and the French Foreign Trade Advisors, organized a breakfast "Business Match Meeting" gathering 150 guests. This breakfast was a great opportunity for the delegation of 100 SMEs to meet French and Korean experts of each sector in Korea: Human Resources, Finance and Risks, Pharmaceutical, IT, Logistic and Transports, Law, Communication and Press, Distribution, Banking, Industry, Food and Trade Fair, CNCCEF, and Services.
This Tremplin Coree has been a great success for all companies. Most of them are already interested in investing in South Korea and developing their business with Korean companies. From the 18th to the 20th, the delegation went to Japan for the same kind of program (rendez-vous, seminars, etc.).
