Cho Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of Hyosung, Receives 'Korea-Japan Forum Award' for Contributions to Korea-Japan Cooperation

Honorary Chairman Jo Seok-rae of Hyosung was recognized for his contributions to fostering friendly cooperation and improving relations with Japan, as well as for his role in the economic development of the Republic of Korea.

On the 31st, Honorary Chairman Jo received the '8th Korea-Japan Forum Award' at the 31st Korea-Japan Forum held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. This award is given to individuals or organizations that have contributed to seeking new cooperative relationships between the two countries and promoting future-oriented relationship development.

The forum stated, "Honorary Chairman Jo, as a founding member of the Korea-Japan Forum, has contributed to the forum's development as a business leader who grew Hyosung into a global company and as an outstanding private diplomat. We express our respect and gratitude for his half-century dedication to realizing the necessity of friendly cooperation and the imperative of improving relations between Korea and Japan, having served as president of the Korea-Japan Business Association, chairman of the Korea-Japan Industrial Cooperation Foundation, head of the Korea-Japan Business Meeting delegation, and chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries."

On the day, Honorary Chairman Jo expressed his thoughts through Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon's proxy acceptance, saying, "When the Korea-Japan Forum was established, relations between the two countries were not good, but I believe significant progress has been made recently. I thank the Korea-Japan Forum for their efforts to develop Korea-Japan relations."

He also urged, "There is still a significant difference in historical awareness between the two countries, and I hope the Korea-Japan Forum will work to resolve these issues so that the people of both countries can understand each other and achieve harmony."

Since the Korea-Japan Forum was founded in 1993, Honorary Chairman Jo has shown exceptional affection by attending every year. He was the first to propose jointly hosting the 2002 World Cup, which Korea and Japan fiercely competed to host. He also facilitated visa exemptions between the two countries, the establishment of a joint historical research committee, and the resumption of international flights between Gimpo and Haneda.

Meanwhile, in 2009, Honorary Chairman Jo was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, the highest honor given to civilians by the Japanese government, for his contributions to enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries. In June last year, he received the 'Youngsan Diplomat Award' from the Seoul International Forum for his contributions to expanding economic cooperation, including the conclusion of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), US visa exemption, and Korea-Japan technology exchange.

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