Gyeonggi – Daegu to Cooperate on Textile Exports
(October 13th, 2011)

Cooperation agreement signed in Daegu… The second deal since the IAAF World Championships
Overseas marketing support, sharing market information, and developing sportswear 

– The signing ceremony for the Gyeonggi Province-Daegu Metropolitan City Textile Industry Growth Agreement was held at the Exco Fashion Design Development Support Center in Daegu on October 13th.Korea High Tech Textile Research Institute Director Jo Chang-seop, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, Daegu Mayor Kim Bum-il, and Korea Research Institute For Fashion Industry Director Lee Si-yeong (from the left) smile for the camera after signing the cooperation agreement. (GNews Plus.)

Gyeonggi Province teamed up with Daegu Metropolitan City, the mecca of Korea’s textile industry.

The provincial government and Daegu joined together at the Fashion Design Development Support Center on the morning of October 13^th to sign a contract regarding overseas support, sharing market information, and the development of sportswear.

Approximately thirty textile-related personnel gathered in the conference room of the Fashion Design Development Support Center, including Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo and Daegu Mayor Kim Bum-il.

In his opening speech, Governor Kim said, “The US Congress and Senate have passed the Korea-US FTA. With lower taxes, our textiles can now compete with China. This is a great opportunity. If the textile industry and government join forces, we can become the world¡¯s finest.” 

Mayor Kim said, “As we all know, Daegu is a mecca of textiles. Concurrently, Gyeonggi Province’s textile industry has experienced explosive growth with Seoul at the center of its region. Our cooperation will establish the foundation needed to make our mark in the international market.”

The initial cooperation agreement was established between the Gyeonggi Small & Medium Business Center and the Korea Textile Marketing Center (located in Daegu). This was followed by a secondary agreement between the Korea High Tech Textile Research Institute (located in Yangju of Gyeonggi Province) and the Korea Research Institute for Fashion Industry (located in Daegu). The group had lunch together and visited the 2011 Daegu Fashion Fair.

The first agreement involved establishing an overseas base and showroom, utilizing the marketing center in New York to showcase products, and sharing local market information. All costs will be shared. 

The second agreement involved sharing the personnel, equipment, and technical information needed to develop cutting-edge sports textiles.

This is the second business agreement between Gyeonggi Province and Daegu following this June’s agreement to cooperate for the success of the 2011 IAAF World Championships.

Lim Jong-cheol, Director General of the Economy & Agricultural Bureau, said, “The textile industry in northern Gyeonggi Province is growing into a specialized industry. Daegu has always been at the center of textile manufacturing. Cooperation between the two regions will boost both the local economies and the textile industry. They have our full financial and administrative support.”

Gyeonggi Small & Medium Business Center CEO Hong Ki-hwa said, “Cooperation between the Gyeonggi Textile Marketing Center and the Daegu Textile Marketing Center could open new doorways to L.A. and New York, and foster further advancement into China and the EU. We could create better, more versatile textiles in preparation for the FTA. Our textile companies must make their way into the world market successfully. I assure you we will do everything in our power to make that happen.”

Korea High Tech Textile Research Institute Director Jo Chang-seop said “The Overseas Joint Marketing Center will play the role of an overseas marketing support department for Korean small and medium businesses. This is a great opportunity for small and medium businesses that have little information to jump into the world market. If the two sides share their expertise in textile and knits, it will create a synergy effect for Korea’s textile market.”

Over 23.3% of Korean textile-related companies are based in Gyeonggi Province, manufacturing KRW 4.9 trillion worth of textiles each year. That equates to 15% of Korea’s gross output. More than half of the production involves knit textiles, 39% of which are manufactured in Gyeonggi Province.

One provincial official said, “We have established basic infrastructure for the textile industry over the past years. Gyeonggi Province has the Textile General Support Center, Gyeonggi Green Knit Research Center, and Gyeonggi Textile and Needlework Knowledge Business Center, not to mention the industrial complexes in Yangju, Pocheon, and Dongducheon. We must maximize the Korea-US FTA by enhancing quality and stimulating marketing tactics.”

– GNews Plus News | Son Rak-hun kuni1202@naver.com

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201110131043407055C052&s_code=C052