Invigorating the economy: Interview Mr. Choi Kyung-hwan, Minister of Knowledge Economy

Elected with a national mandate to invigorate the Korean economy, President Lee Myung-bak merged the Ministry of Commerce Industries and Energy (MOCIE) with parts of the Ministry of Information and Communications the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy to create the current Ministry of Knowledge Economy. Today the Ministry has considerable jurisdiction in creating a more business-friendly environment. It pushes for development of new growth engines by supporting Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and high-end manufacturing. It also promotes foreign trade, pursues Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and champions efficient markets. Furthermore, the Ministry is mandated to engage in energy cooperation projects, expand renewable resources and...

Read more »

Well said!

...

Read more »

Korea's Green Growth Strategy: Interview with Minister of Environment Mr. Lee Man-ee

President Lee Myung-bak has put low carbon and green growth as the core of a new vision for Korea. Since his inauguration in February 2008, Korea has been preparing to become a leading country in developing green technology and achieving sustainable growth, with the growing public awareness of the importance of green energy and green technology. The country is also concentrating on supporting research and development in alternative energy and renewable energy areas, which is to transform the entire country. Now a big change is taking place around the entire country, with a strong will to make Korea into a greener, future-leading nation. The progress on this front has been really good, and even the UN Environment Program has praised the government for these efforts. In a recent report, UNEP...

Read more »

Investing in Vietnam: Interview- Mr. David Blackhall, Deputy Managing Director, Real Estate, VinaCapital.

With a bevy of development projects in the works, and a strong year-end performance projected, Vietnam is carving out a spot in the emerging property market. A revitalized stock marke; rebounding global economy; and strides in the nation's infrastructure are contributing to the favorable investment outlook. To learn more about the real estate market in Vietnam and the opportunities available for foreign investors, I caught up with Mr. David Blackhall, deputy Managing Director, Real Estate, VinaCapital. VinaCapital is one of the largest property investors and developers in Vietnam. VinaCapital Real Estate (VCRE) is the real estate advisory and development service for VinaCapital Group, which manages three closed-end funds that trade on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. These funds...

Read more »