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The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustCham Korea) represents around 110 Australian and Korean enterprises across a range of sectors including finance, agriculture, natural resources, infrastructure, manufacturing, medical technologies and a broad range of other sectors within the Korean market.
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| Chris Raciti |
Our member companies have been welcomed in Korea and as a result have provided services, introduced products to the market and are a significant employer of Korean people. The relationship between Australia and Korea is in many ways a model for open and free markets.
Collectively, we recognize the challenges in the Korean community and economy that have been caused by the COVID-19.
It's with this knowledge that we want to portray our sympathy for the individuals and families that have been directly impacted from a health and economic perspective.
Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted from the loss of loved ones and those whose businesses and livelihoods have been adversely impacted.
Australia too faced a major challenge earlier this year with the bushfires that greatly impacted our families, communities and economy.
We were humbled by the empathy and acts of kindness that we received from our Korean colleagues and trading partners.
We would like to express our deep appreciation to the many health professionals that have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of the Korean people and the many foreigners that call Korea home.
We sincerely thank you. It is important to acknowledge the magnitude, sophistication and transparency of Korea's testing and SNS communication regime.
This approach has provided the optimal chance to manage and mitigate the impacts from the virus.
This gratitude is extended to all the Korean people that have responded collectively and respectfully, through the wearing of masks, applying sanitization measures according to guidance and by sacrificing their attendance at larger gatherings and other cultural commitments.
Lastly, it's our belief that Korea is a country with attributes of resilience, enormous personal capacity and innovation.
Like we have seen previously, Korea is a country that successfully responds at times of major challenge. We don't underestimate the magnitude of effort required but have a strong belief that the Korean people will navigate through these difficult times.
We wish Korea strength during this challenging time and trust that everyone can be proud of the Korean response to date.
Australian enterprises based here are certain the Korean people will not only overcome the current challenge but will emerge stronger. Australia stands by its mates and looks to learn from the early experiences of Korea.
Chris Raciti is the chairman of AustCham Korea.
