The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea plans to hold two luncheons later this week.

For the first luncheon, the American Chamber has invited as guest speaker Trade Minister Bark Tae-ho to this month’s general membership meeting.

At the luncheon on March 8 from 11:30 a.m., Bark will hold a lively discussion on the strategic value of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

A veteran economist, Bark took over the post when Kim Jong-hoon stepped down late last year after playing a pivotal role in finalizing the then stalled Korea-U.S. FTA.

The luncheon at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul costs 65,000 won for members and 85,000 won for non-members. A 10,000 charge will be added for those who have not made reservations by March 7.

The next day, the AmCham Automotive Committee will hold its first meeting of the year to discuss the committee’s strategy and plans for 2012.

The meeting is open to AmCham members who have an interest in the automotive industry and its related issues.

The March 9 meeting will start at 11:30 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton hotel’s Kumkang Room and costs 65,000 won for members and 75,000 won for non-members.

For more information, call (02) 6201-2200 or visit www.amchamkorea.org.