On January 23, Friends of Korea joined the inaugural K-Initiative Coordination Meeting in Zürich, hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

What is the K-Initiative?

The K-Initiative is Korea’s national vision to lead the future across economy, culture, and technology.In Switzerland, the Embassy has expanded participation beyond public institutions. As a result, scientific associations, Korean businesses, chambers of commerce, and cultural organizations are now included. The goal? Cross-sector synergy through collaboration.

Who was there?

Around the table were representatives from KOTRA Zürich, Korea Business Center, KSEAS (Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Switzerland). In addition, Korean companies operating in Switzerland joined the meeting. These includeed companies such as LG Electronics Switzerland, Genesis Motor Switzerland, Hyundai Electrics, YumiHana, Yuuyuu AG, and Korean Re. Cultural organizations were also present. Together, all are working to strengthen Korea’s presence in this country.

What Friends of Korea brings

As a grassroots organization based in Basel, we bring something different. Specifically, we offer local networks, community reach, and the ability to connect Korean initiatives with Swiss society. In just one year, we’ve built a network of 430+ LinkedIn followers, 100+ newsletter subscribers. Moreover, we have 14 corporate partners across IT, finance, legal, and consulting, including KOTRA Zürirch, and KSEAS. Our events regularly attract Swiss locals and media coverage.

Looking ahead

This is just the beginning. We’re excited to explore collaborations with the organizations we met. For example, we could co-host events or connect Korean businesses with Swiss partners. Additionally, we can support public diplomacy efforts on the ground.

At Friends of Korea, we believe the best connections happen when cultures meet with curiosity and care. We’re honored to be part of this initiative.