Lee In-ho, Vice Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA, Chairman Jin-sik Yoon), visited Warsaw, Poland for two days on the 6th and 7th (local time) and met with the Polish Trade and Investment Agency and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology to discuss ways for Korean companies to expand their presence in Europe and convey the difficulties faced by companies advancing into the region.
On the 6th, Vice Chairman Lee In-ho met with Andrzej Dycha, the head of the Polish Trade and Investment Agency, and conveyed the issue of rising energy costs that Korean companies are experiencing due to the introduction of decarbonization-related legislation and systems in the European Union (EU). In particular, he requested that the government consider establishing a new energy cost subsidy support program for the battery industry, as Korean battery companies are contributing to the development of Polish industry and job creation through large-scale local investments.
He also asked for the Korea Business Council of Poland (KBC Poland), operated by the Warsaw branch of the Trade Association, to utilize the organization as a channel to collect opinions from Korean companies, which account for a large portion of foreign investment in Poland, and to provide continued support to Korean companies.
On the 7th, the vice chairman plans to meet with Michal Baranowski, the Polish Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology, to convey the difficulties faced by foreigners in issuing work permits and residence permits. On February 21st, a bill to shorten the issuance period for work permits was passed by the Polish House of Representatives, and since the list of companies subject to “priority processing procedures” included in the bill falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, he plans to request active support from the ministry so that Korean companies can be included on the list.
Afterwards, he will visit the LG Energy Solution production plant in Wroclaw, Poland, to tour the electric vehicle battery production site, and through a meeting with KBC Poland member companies, he will listen to the difficulties faced by companies operating in the local area and discuss ways to improve the business environment.
Meanwhile, prior to his visit to Poland, the Vice Chairman attended the 'Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025' held in Barcelona, Spain, and encouraged participating companies at the promising domestic startup booth jointly operated by the Korea International Trade Association and Seoul National University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation. He also met with Josemaria Siota, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC) at IESE Business School, and discussed collaboration plans between major European tech companies and domestic startups.
Vice Chairman Lee In-ho said, “I hope this visit will serve as an opportunity to expand business cooperation opportunities between Korea and major European countries,” and added, “The trade association will continue to seek ways to support our companies’ smooth entry into the European market and expansion of their global networks, including through outreach activities targeting local governments.”
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