[Exclusive] Yoon Chooses KITA as First Visit Among Economic Groups to Check on Youth Employment

Expected Attendance at GTEP Completion Ceremony with 200 Young Traders

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is attending a luncheon meeting with the heads of six economic organizations at the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st, delivering a greeting./Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will visit the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) this week for the first time since his election. This is his first individual visit to an economic organization following a luncheon meeting with the heads of six economic organizations on the 21st.

According to political and business circles on the 29th, President-elect Yoon is scheduled to make a surprise visit to KITA later this week. He is expected to meet with students who have completed the Global Trade Expert Program (GTEP), a regional specialized youth trade expert training project jointly hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KITA, to encourage them. He will also have a separate meeting with KITA Chairman Koo Ja-yeol to listen to the difficulties faced by export-import companies and policy suggestions for support.

This is the first time President-elect Yoon has visited an individual economic organization since his election. During their transition periods, former President Park Geun-hye first visited the Korea Federation of SMEs, and former President Lee Myung-bak first visited the Federation of Korean Industries. Unlike the current administration, which has kept distance from the business community, President-elect Yoon made many pro-business and pro-market remarks during his candidacy, prompting the heads of the six economic organizations to actively pursue separate meetings with him.

Some interpret President-elect Yoon’s choice to visit KITA first as reflecting an understanding of a previously scheduled visit to KITA during his candidacy that did not take place. During the presidential election period, Yoon visited the Korea Federation of SMEs, the Korea Employers Federation, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

However, the dominant analysis is that the background of President-elect Yoon’s visit to KITA this time reflects his determination to tackle the “three rabbits” of youth employment, SME support, and export promotion, as export SMEs are facing difficulties amid uncertain global conditions such as the spread of China’s COVID-19 lockdowns and the Russia-Ukraine war.

GTEP is a program that trains young people, including university students in provincial areas, as trade experts. It has been evaluated as effective in increasing exports of small and medium-sized enterprises and creating youth jobs.

Meanwhile, with President-elect Yoon’s visit to KITA starting this week, the possibility of individual visits to other economic organizations is open, and other organizations have begun preparations to arrange separate meetings with him. President-elect Yoon repeatedly emphasized communication during the meeting with the heads of the six economic organizations on the 21st.

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