KITA marks 80th anniversary, vows to become 'global partner for every market'

The Korea International Trade Association marked its 80th anniversary Wednesday by declaring a new leap toward the next century. The association, which started with 105 member companies, has grown into a leading economic body representing 80,000 members. Going forward, KITA plans to support Korean companies' entry into overseas markets by leveraging an AI-based trade platform and a private-sector trade network.

KITA held its 80th anniversary ceremony Tuesday at Hall D of COEX in Gangnam, Seoul. More than 1,000 business and economic figures attended, including Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Yeo Han-koo, chief trade negotiator at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, heads of major economic organizations, member companies and ambassadors to South Korea.

This year's ceremony carried the slogan "KITA 80 — To Every Market in the World." The event looked back on the association's journey alongside Korea's trade growth since its founding in 1946 and expressed gratitude to its member companies and trade professionals.

KITA began with 105 member companies at its founding and has since grown into an economic body supporting 80,000 members, navigating export-driven industrialization, the expansion of global supply chains and the spread of digital trade. The ceremony served not only to mark past achievements but also to redefine the association's role in response to a rapidly changing trade environment.

The event opened with a commemorative video tracing 80 years of South Korean trade. An unveiling ceremony for busts of former KITA chairmen Kim Do-yeon, Lee Hwal and Nam Deok-woo followed. Awards were presented to descendants of founding members and individuals who contributed to trade development, and a celebratory performance rounded out the program.

KITA said it intends to respond more proactively to shifts in the global trade environment as it enters its ninth decade. On the ground, companies face growing uncertainty as protectionism, supply chain restructuring and digital transformation advance simultaneously. Securing market intelligence and trade response capabilities has emerged as a particularly pressing challenge for small and midsize enterprises.

KITA plans to strengthen its private-sector trade networks with major trading partners — including the United States, China and the EU — to get ahead of emerging trade issues. Separate from government-to-government negotiations, the association aims to broaden channels for private-sector exchange and communication so that the concerns of businesses on the ground can be heard.

Building an AI-based next-generation trade platform was also presented as a key priority. The association envisions consolidating trade information and support services currently scattered across multiple channels, making it easier for companies to find what they need at every stage of the export process. KITA also plans to expand links with global electronic trade standards to improve the efficiency of trade procedures covering documentation, certification, logistics and payments.

KITA also announced plans to expand COEX's role, developing it into the centerpiece of a "Mega MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) platform" connecting Gangnam and Jamsil, with the aim of turning the area into a global business hub. The goal is to make COEX a venue where companies and talent from around the world converge — going beyond exhibitions and conventions.

Export recovery and market diversification have emerged as central challenges for South Korea's business community. There is growing momentum to broaden the country's export base beyond flagship sectors such as semiconductors and automobiles to include services, content and digital trade. KITA's AI trade platform and MICE expansion strategy align with that broader trend.

KITA said it will strengthen support functions for its member companies and help businesses expand into overseas markets by building trade response capabilities and digital trade infrastructure.

"Having grown over the past 80 years on the trust and support of the government and the trade industry, we will repay that with greater responsibility and contribution," KITA Chairman Yoon Jin-sik said. "Grounded in private-sector creativity and public accountability, we will stand closest to our companies as they take on new challenges, and become their most reliable global partner as they advance into every market in the world."