김성원 의원 대표로 여야의원 17명 참여 월드옥타 지원 등 결의
전 세계 한인 경제인들을 지원하는 국회세계한인경제포럼 출범식이 29일 김성원 국민의힘 의원 대표 체제로 국회 의원회관 제1세미나실에서 열렸다.
출범식에는 포럼 고문을 맡은 주호영 국회부의장, 연구책임의원인 국민의힘 최형두 의원을 비롯해 김상훈 정책위의장과 김석기 외교통일위원장, 김태호 전 외통위원장, 배현진·김상훈·박수영 의원 등 국민의힘 소속 의원 14명이 참석했다. 더불어민주당에서는 조정식·김교흥·조인철 의원이 자리했다.
전임 대표를 역임했던 김정훈·이원욱 전 의원과 안경률 국제통상전략연구원장, 조롱제 재외동포포럼 이사장도 참석했다. 세계한인무역협회(월드옥타)에서는 박종범 회장, 주대석 부회장, 양기모 상근부회장 등이 함께했다.
김성원 대표는 개회사에서 “이 포럼이 추구하는 가치는 대한민국 경제영토 확장에 있고 이를 위해 수고하는 한인 경제인들을 국회가 지속해서 뒷받침하겠다”고 포부를 밝혔다.
포럼은 월드옥타의 세계대표자대회(4월) 및 세계한인경제인대회(10월)를 지원하고, 해외동포 경제인 및 경제단체와 교류 사업을 진행할 계획이다.
출범식에서 여야 국회의원들은 한목소리로 월드옥타의 활동을 지원하겠다고 결의했다.
주호영 고문은 격려사에서 “모국과 상생발전에 앞장서 온 월드옥타는 67개국 146개 지회를 갖춘 재외동포 최대 경제단체로 국내 경제 7단체가 될 수 있도록 힘쓰겠다”고 말했다.
박종범 회장은 축사에서 “10월 오스트리아 빈에서 열리는 세계한인경제인대회가 모국 중소기업의 해외 진출을 돕는 교두보가 되도록 최선을 다해 준비하겠다”고 소개했다.
포럼은 2002년 5월 국회 재외동포경제정책연구회로 출범했고, 2020년 세계한인경제포럼으로 단체명을 변경했다.
Led by Rep. Kim Sung-won, 17 members of ruling and opposition parties participated in resolution, which included supporting World-OKTA
The launching ceremony of the National Assembly World Korean Economic Forum, which supports Korean businesspeople around the world, was held at the first seminar room of the National Assembly building under the chairmanship of People Power Party Rep. Kim Sung-won.
The ceremony was attended by 14 National Assembly members of the People Power Party, including Rep. Joo Ho-young, who serves as an adviser to the forum, and Rep. Choi Hyung-doo who is acting as the head of research, as well as Policy Committee Chairman Kim Sang-hoon, Foreign and Unification Affairs Committee Chairman Kim Seok-ki, former Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Kim Tae-ho, and Reps. Bae Hyun-jin, Kim Sang-hoon and Park Soo-young. The Democratic Party of Korea was represented by members Cho Joong-sik, Kim Kyo-heung and Cho In-cheol.
Former Reps. Kim Jeong-hoon and Lee Won-wook, who served as the previous representatives, were also present, as well as An Kyung-ryul, president of the Institute for International Commerce Research, and Cho Rong-je, director of the Overseas Korean Forum. The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Associations (World-OKTA) was represented by President Park Jong-beom, Vice President Joo Dae-seok and Senior Vice President Yang Ki-mo.
“The value of this forum is to expand the economic territory of Korea, and the National Assembly will continue to support the Korean businesspeople who are working hard to do so,” said Rep. Kim Sung-won in his opening remarks.
The forum will support World-OKTA’s World Delegates Congress (April) and the Korea Business Expo (October), and conduct exchange projects with overseas Korean business people and economic organizations.
At the launching ceremony, members of the National Assembly from the ruling and opposition parties unanimously resolved to support the World-OKTA’s activities.
“The World-OKTA, which has been at the forefront of win-win development with its home country, is the largest overseas Korean business organization with 146 chapters in 67 countries, and we will strive to become one of the top seven economic organizations in Korea,” said Adviser Joo in his speech.
“We will do our best to prepare the Korea Business Expo, which will be held in October in Vienna, Austria, as a bridgehead to help small and medium-sized enterprises from our home country to expand overseas,” World-OKTA President Park Jong-beom said in his congratulatory remarks.
The forum was founded in May 2002 as the Overseas Koreans Economic Policy Research Group of the National Assembly and changed its name to the World Korean Economic Forum in 2020.
