Vancouver, Canada - The Korean Consulate General in Vancouver, in collaboration with the BC Government and the Canada Korea Business Association (CKBA), hosted a conference on trade and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on March 25th, themed "Korea Business and Social Responsibility in BC and Canada." The event was attended by more than 30 business people, including representatives from POSCO Canada, Inno Foods, and Renu Bio, as well as Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education. The conference was held with the active support of Byung-ha Choi, BC's Parliamentary Secretary for Asia Pacific Trade.
Consul General Jongho Kyun emphasized the importance of Korean companies contributing to regional development in BC through CSR activities to expand their businesses in the long term. He highlighted the necessity of building strong cooperative relationships with Indigenous communities in Canada and urged companies to pay special attention to CSR activities concerning First Nations groups.
Furthermore, Byung-ha Choi said that long-term business success is closely related to environmental protection, social responsibility, and proper governance. BC actively supports local companies in adapting to and growing in this economic environment. In particular, BC prioritizes working with Indigenous peoples to create a sustainable economic investment environment. BC will continue to work to strengthen its cooperation with Korea further so that the two economies can develop together.
During the seminar, William Hoyle, Acting Deputy Minister of BC, introduced the BC government's trade policies and strategies in response to the Trump administration's recent tariff policies. Justin Bull, a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), introduced the need for and methods of collaboration with Indigenous peoples as a social contribution activity that companies in Canada need to succeed from a long-term business perspective.
Attending businesspeople showed great interest in the direction of trade policy, asking what areas the BC provincial government prioritizes in trade with Korea. They also mentioned that the event provided an opportunity to rethink the importance of social contribution activities necessary to continue doing business in Canada.
An official from the Korean Consulate General stated that they plan to continue providing opportunities for networking between the BC government and companies and to continue supporting companies in actively engaging in social contribution activities.
