Martial Arts, 'Han-Sweden Digital Economy and Trade Forum' Held

"Solutions for Digital and Green Transition Must Focus on Metaverse and ESG"

Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, is delivering a greeting at the 5th Expanded Trade Strategy Coordination Meeting held on the 27th of last month at the Korea International Trade Association in Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) held the 'Korea-Sweden Digital Economy and Trade Forum' jointly with Business Sweden on the 10th.

The event, chaired by Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of KITA, Jan Larsson, Chairman of Business Sweden, and the trade ministers of both countries, was held via video conference. Participants included Volvo Cars, AMF Pension Company, and Korean companies such as Maxst, CJ ENM, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, NICE D&B, and SK Hynix, discussing digital and green transitions.

Chairman Koo stated, "We are now at the crossroads of a great transformation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and intertwined with the climate change crisis," emphasizing, "Although ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and the Metaverse (extended virtual world) may seem unrelated, they will ultimately coexist and provide solutions for digital and green transitions."

In the following keynote speech, Jenny Gustafsson, Chief Investment Officer of AMF Pension Company, Sweden's largest life insurance company, mentioned, "Climate change has already become an important indicator in developing investment products, and recently, products themed around social issues such as child labor, gender equality, and diversity have been emerging."

Park Jae-wan, CEO of Maxst, who presented on the Metaverse, said, "Since the beginning of this year, the Korean industry has started paying close attention to the convergence and innovation of the Metaverse," stressing, "Open platforms like the Metaverse are the way to compete with global tech companies such as Meta (formerly Facebook)."

At the forum, Bj?rn Ulvaeus of the Swedish pop group ABBA, releasing a studio album after 40 years, participated as a panelist in the digital roundtable. Ulvaeus said, "We are planning a Metaverse concert using virtual avatars in London next year," adding, "Metaverse technology will have a significant impact on the entertainment industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.