1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will hold the “2017 seminar on strategies for entering the UN procurement market” on December 1 in order to help Korean companies build their presence in the UN procurement market.

o The Foreign Ministry, together with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has held the briefing session on the UN procurement market every year since 2007.

2. Procurement officers from the UN Procurement Division (UNPD) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) will visit the ROK to attend the event. At the event, they will provide information on each organization’s procurement market, tendering procedures, and matters that require attention.

o The UN procurement officers will also hold one-on-one consultations with Korean companies to offer them advice tailored to each company’s characteristics.

3. The UN procurement market with the size of about US$17.7 billion (in 2016) covers a range of areas, including goods and services, and runs tendering procedures set out in regulations in a transparent and fair manner. The market is a very promising one for Korean companies with advanced technologies and global competitive edge.

o Korean companies have been showing continued growth in the market, as their presence has more than quadrupled over the past five years (from US$53 million in 2012 to US$215 million in 2016).

4. Considering the growing interest at home and abroad in UN procurement and huge potential for Korean companies’ entry into the market, the Foreign Ministry will continue efforts to increase Korean companies’ presence in the procurement market through cooperation with relevant domestic and foreign organizations and companies.


* unofficial translation