KUALA LUMPUR: The Asean-Korea Centre (AKC) is conducting a trade facilitation mission to Brunei and Singapore from February 2 to 5 to strengthen trade and investment ties between Asean member states and South Korea.
In a statement, AKC said the mission, organised in cooperation with the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), brings together 21 Korean companies from the food and beverage (F&B), materials and consumer goods sectors, as well as about 30 local companies from Brunei and Singapore.
"AKC will continue to dispatch trade promotion missions to further support Korean companies’ entry into Asean markets and foster more sustainable and substantive cooperation between Asean and Korea,” the statement read.
The trade facilitation programme features business forums, business matching sessions and industrial site visits.
AKC said the forums and matching sessions will provide Korean companies with up-to-date market insights and practical opportunities in Asean.
"The industrial site visits will offer participants exposure to the latest industry trends and technologies, and facilitate engagement with local stakeholders to identify potential partners,” it stated.
Launched last year, the trade facilitation programme previously held missions to Indonesia (Jakarta) in January 2025, and to Laos (Vientiane) and Thailand (Bangkok) in May 2025.
In Brunei, officials from the Finance and Economy Ministry and Universiti Malaysia Sabah will brief participants on the Asean-Korea FTA, Brunei-Korea trade trends, and market entry strategies, followed by one-on-one business matching sessions.
On Tuesday, participants will go on industrial site visits to gain insights into Brunei’s trade structure, including stops at the Bruneian Made Hub and Ghanim International Corporation Sdn Bhd, a leading halal food manufacturer.
These visits are expected to provide practical, market-relevant insights applicable to potential export and import activities.
On Feb. 4, the Singapore-Korea Business Forum will be held to examine bilateral trade and investment trends, government policies, and opportunities to strengthen business networks.
Officials from the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and World-OKTA Singapore will also brief participants on the Korea-Singapore FTA (KSFTA), market entry strategies, and the Singapore market outlook, followed by business matching sessions in the afternoon.
On Feb. 5, participants will undertake an industrial site visit to gain insights into Singapore’s market structure as a global trade hub, including a stop at Ryan’s Grocery to better understand local business practices and market entry opportunities for Korean companies. - Bernama
