Dutch Ambassador to South Korea Paul Menkveld presented the Hamel Trade Award to Heineken Korea Inc., dubbing the iconic European brewer the best-performing business from the Netherlands in South Korea.

The ambassador presented the award to the multinational beer company’s local division head, country manager Jan Arie Smit, during a gala dinner for the Dutch business community on Wednesday.

The trophy is handed out once every two years and is named after Hendrick Hamel, the seafaring Dutchman who was stranded in Korea in 1653. Hamel stayed for some 13 years, and was the first European to report on Korean culture and society.

An independent jury assessed all nominees for the award and declared Heineken the winner, after it scored the best in criteria such as growth, sustainability, market approach, and attitude towards employees and consumers, according to a statement from the Dutch Embassy here.

While the premium beer market makes up only 4.5 percent of the total South Korean beer consumption, the global Heineken brand has had a presence here since the late 1980s. 

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)