The Australia Chamber of Commerce celebrated Australia National Day at the Grand Ambassador hotel in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Friday.

Participants were greeted with a Down Under theme as cabanas decorated one side of the room and Aussie favorites like fish and chips and meat pies were served.

No day marking the country’s birthday would be complete without a good old fashion Aussie barbeque.

Austcham Executive Director Rod Rothwell said that he wanted to give the feeling of home to the 145 guests in attendance. The mostly members of the chamber and people with a love for Australian culture entered a world on the other side of the equator where every song played was from an Australian band or musician and film.

To prepare the feast, Austcham brought in Grand Ambassador executive chef and Australian culinary wizard Wayne Golding to prepare something from home.

A native of Yamba on the east coast, Golding told The Korea Herald that he wanted everyone to feel that they were eating a traditional Australia Day meal.

To feel the Australian way of life, Austcham and the Australian Embassy are planning to showcase their respect for the ocean and coast at the Yeosu Expo later on this year.


Changes to tax laws examined

The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a training seminar on Wednesday on the tax changes that were applied to this year.

The training session will review and discuss main changes in Korean tax laws with a special focus on changes that will influence foreign-invested companies, foreign shareholders and employees.

Kim and Chang partner Jenny Kim will discuss all the relevant changes to the tax code for this year from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. on the 14th floor of the Grand Ambassador Hotel’s Board Room.

Cost is 40,000 won and is reserved to members of FKCCI only and will be conducted in English.

Registration can be arranged by contacting the FKCCI at (02) 2268-9508 or by visiting their website at www.fkcci.com, where interested participants can download the appropriate form and e-mail it back to the chamber at event@fkcci.com.


InterChambers to hold global job forum

To assist young Koreans in finding work in a globalized world, the foreign chambers of commerce, CEOs and human resources specialists of global firms will hold a Global Career Forum on Feb. 9 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Grand Hall.

The forum will provide practical guidance to those interested in being recruited and in building a successful global career with a multinational company in Korea or abroad.

Employment by foreign-invested companies has grown every year by 10 percent from 2006 to 2008.

In 2009, foreign-invested companies provided 8 percent of all workers in the country.

“This shows that despite the economic uncertainty, employment opportunities exist and are expected to grow as the world is rapidly globalizing,” said the InterChamber, an alliance of foreign chambers of commerce and the KCCI.

“Working for a global company does not solely entail that employees possess good language abilities,” explained the InterChamber. “Unique job skills and a global mindset are also needed to lead challenging career, let alone to meet the requirements of an increasingly globalized job market.”

Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. with the first session, Globalization and Your Career Development, begins about an hour later. After a break to network, the second session titled “What are Global Companies Looking for in New Recruits” will take place.

Taking part in the forum are managing director of EWC Consulting PJ Rogers, CEO of Vectis Corporation Simon Bureau and a keynote speech by Principal of McKinsey and Company Kim Yong-ah.


CanCham promoting GLOBE 2012 conference

CanCham has made arrangements for its members to participate in the 12th Biennial Conference and Trade Fair on Business and the Environment.

Also known as GLOBE 2012, the conference is one of the most important industry events on energy and the environment.

Taking place between March 14-16 in Vancouver, cleantech and urban sustainability will also be prominently featured in the conference and trade fair.

Special rates for Canadian Chamber of Commerce members apply such as free access to the trade fair and reduced access to the conference.

The Canadian Embassy is organizing a Korean delegation to GLOBE 2012 jointly with the Korea Environmental Preservation Association.

For more information, contact yon-ho.choi@international.gc.ca or carine@globe.ca. More information on the conference and trade fair can be found at www.globeseries.com.