For Immediate Release: September 1, 2005
DBEDT Release News 05-27

Honolulu--Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) in joint sponsorship with the states of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, is presenting a unique opportunity to explore communications business opportunities in Korea.

The Fourth Annual Korea-Pacific U.S. States Joint Trade Conference will take place at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle, October 13-14, 2005. This year's conference will focus on interactive media and wireless technologies.

The agenda includes discussions on marketing trends for the game and wireless industries in the U.S., and Korea and Asia, respectively. Participants can also request one-on-one meetings with participating companies from Korea and Washington State.

Korea is considered the most wired, and wireless, nation in the world. Currently with 48 million mobile phone users in South Korea, the content market is predicted to grow by almost 30 percent each year for the next five years. This will generate over $6.6 trillion in the mobile content market for South Korea by 2008. Korea sees the mobile phone as the centerpiece of communications and entertainment. Korean companies have pushed technology to create advances such as DMD (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) and WiBro (Wireless Broadcasting).

"Korean companies entering the U.S. market need to have U.S. partners, just as U.S. companies need Korean partners to enter Asian markets," said DBEDT Director Theodore E. Liu. "Attending the 4th Annual Korea-Pacific U.S. States Joint Trade Conference can help Hawaii companies make connections and learn more about the global marketplace."

In 2002, the Governors of the five Pacific U.S. states (Pac5) formally recognized the importance of the relationship with Korea, and made a commitment to strengthen that relationship. The Joint Conference between Korea and the Pac5 states was created to foster trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two regions.

The Korea-Pacific U.S. States Joint Conference is sponsored by the Korea-U.S. Economic Council (KUSEC) and the Pac5 states. KUSEC is a private, non-profit organization under the auspices of the Korea Investment and Trade Agency (KITA), whose purpose is to promote economic cooperation between Korea and the United States. KUSEC is supported by leading Korean corporations and economic organizations, and exercises significant influence in both private and public sectors.

Early Registration deadline is September 15, 2005. There is a $200 fee per participating individual for the conference. (Registration fee after September 15th is $275.) Companies requesting business matchmaking sessions must register by September 15th.

For further information, visit http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/korea-conference/, or contact Jamie Lum at 587-2753 or e-mail jlum@dbedt.hawaii.gov.

For more information, contact:
Dave Young
Communications
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov