Russ Shaw, head of Global Tech Advocates, front, takes a selfie with participants of the Tech Korea Advocates opening ceremony held at the British Embassy's Aston Hall in central Seoul, Sept. 11. Courtesy of Russ Shaw

The U.K. based Global Tech Advocates celebrated the launch of a new chapter of its organization on Sept. 11 at the British Embassy's Aston Hall in central Seoul. Korea will be the 30th country to have joined Global Tech Advocates, a volunteer-led community that connects industry leaders, experts and investors to a global tech ecosystem.

The event was pioneered by British expats Josie Daw and Alice Chan, co-leads of Tech Korea Advocates. Both are known in the startup community for their extensive work in regard to tech. In addition to being a full-stack developer, Daw often volunteers her time at hackathons such as Seoul Tech Impact to promote diversity and gender equality within the Seoul startup scene. Chan is a Techstars alumna and two-time global startup founder who represents the Seoul operation of venture SocialTable.

Guests heard keynote speeches from notable figures in the industry such as Tony Clemson, country director of business & trade at the British Embassy, as well as Rancho Lee, APAC Partner at Simsan Ventures and Russ Shaw, founder of Global Tech Advocates.

“Why UK” is a concept that Clemson explored in depth during his speech. “After the U.S. and China, the U.K. is the leading tech sector in the world,” he said.

He stated that the U.K.'s tech industry has a combined market value worth $1.1 trillion, which is greater than that of France and Germany combined. “We want to attract the best and the brightest to come to the U.K.," he said, adding that the U.K. could be a great partner for Korean startups and businesses trying to expand to a global market.

Rancho Lee, a Korean entrepreneur who worked and studied in the U.K., was able to provide his perspective on the U.K. tech sector. As a partner for Simsan Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in startups, it's his job to act as a bridge between the U.K. and Korea.

“The U.K. is the gateway to the tech sector in Europe,” he said.

He observed that Korean startups tend to overlook the U.K. in favor of the U.S. due to a fear of the unknown. As a result, the advantages that Korean startups enjoy in the U.K. and Europe are often missed. Lee concluded that the U.K. has a strong regulatory system that works to support local and international startups, which Korean tech companies should take into consideration.

Josie Daw, from left, Russ Shaw and Alice Chan pose together during the Tech Korea Advocates opening ceremony held at the British Embassy's Aston Hall in central Seoul, Sept. 11. / Courtesy of Alice Chan

Russ Shaw, founder of Global Tech Advocates, was the last speaker of the evening. “I started this journey 11 years ago," he said. "At the time, the startup ecosystem in London was starting to bubble up, and I could see some really interesting startups on the horizon. What was missing for me was a community of diverse tech leaders coming together to promote and support startups and scaleups. That's where the idea came from … little did I realize how it would change my life.”

Global Tech Advocates, which started in 2013, has over 39 chapters around the world.

“Everyone in this community is a volunteer,” Shaw said. “That is the spirit, the ethos of this community.”

Its network now has more than 40,000 members who share the common goal of empowering local tech experts with global opportunities by fostering a supportive community for startups, entrepreneurs and investors.

Visit techkoreaadvocates.org for more information.

Alice Hong is a freelance writer and comedian based in Seoul. Follow @hippohong on Instagram.