Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann arrived in Seoul, South Korea on June 19 to being the second portion of the agricultural trade mission. Shortly after landing at Incheon International Airport, Lt. Governor Ellspermann, joined by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Ted McKinney led the delegation of agricultural business leaders and commodity representatives to the Embassy of the United States in Seoul. At the Embassy, the Lt. Governor was greeted by U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, who has been serving his post since October 13, 2011. After meeting with the Ambassador, the entire delegation received a thorough briefing from Embassy officials regarding agricultural exports and imports for the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Kim discussed with Ellspermann and McKinney about South Korea’s growing economy, and the Embassy’s importance in connecting Indiana and agricultural exports to South Korean markets Today.
On Monday the delegation began the day with a meeting with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). Formed in 1962, KOTRA is a Korean governmental organization who works to increase new export companies, support companies overseas, and create more jobs. During the meeting, the topic of discussion focused on a high interest in Indiana’s successful agricultural industry and how Indiana agricultural and KOTRA way work together in the future to create more jobs in Indiana. After meeting at KOTRA’s facilities, the delegation traveled to Seoul National University where they met with Hwy-Chang Moon, Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS). Due to the innovative research being conducted at the university, the topic of discussion was on technological advancements in agriculture, ways to feed an ever increasing population, and the dynamics of Indiana’s agriculture leadership in playing a pivotal role as being part of the solution
The final meeting took place at the Cargill feed mill at Pyungtaek Dangjin Harbor foreign investment zone. The Cargill feed mill serves livestock industry customers in Korea and is the largest feed mill worldwide with the production capacity of 870,000 metric tons per year. The senior executives from Cargill met with the Lt. Governor and her delegation to discuss commodities delivered to the port, the new feed mill still under construction, and ways to import Indiana corn.