Governor Gregoire Meets with South Korean President, Minister of Trade

For Immediate Release: October 17, 2006

Mission helps build foundation to help Washington students compete

SEOUL, South Korea � Governor Chris Gregoire met with the Korean Minister of Trade, Hyunjong Kim, and urged the removal of trade barriers and advocated lower tariffs for Washington products under the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement currently in negotiation. Current trade negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. should yield new opportunities for Washington products and services such as law, accounting and education. The third round of negotiations was recently held in Seattle.

Governor Gregoire also presided over the signing of four agreements that recognize new partnerships between Saint Martin�s University, Clover Park Technical College, Lake Washington Technical College and Pierce College with South Korean educational institutions. The agreements foster intellectual exchanges and provide global learning opportunities for Washington students.

�Lifelong education for Washington students is our strongest asset in the global economy,� said Governor Gregoire. �I am encouraged by the significant education representation on this trade mission and the progress they have made to establish opportunities for our students.�

Business delegation member Kyle Sides, an applications engineer and director of sales with Sharpe Mixers in Seattle, met with a Korean engineering company that has expressed interest in promoting and purchasing Sharpe Mixers products for wastewater treatment plants in Korea. The arrangement has the potential to bring $3 million of business to the Seattle company. Sides said, �I give credit to this trade mission for this outstanding window of opportunity.�

South Korea ranked as Washington�s sixth largest export market with purchases of nearly $1.8 billion in 2005. Korea purchased $325 million in food and agricultural products from Washington last year.

Senator Paull Shin and Dr. Chang Mook Sohn, Executive Director of the Washington Forecast Council, today joined Governor Gregoire to sign an agreement with Asiana Airlines that will promote Washington attractions to passengers on direct flights from Seoul to Seattle. Dr. Sohn was instrumental in reaching this agreement.

The delegation includes 80 representatives from the business, education, agriculture and tourism fields. Senator Paull Shin, Department of Agriculture Director Valoria Loveland and Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development Director Juli Wilkerson also are accompanying Governor Gregoire.

The goals of this trade mission contribute to Governor Gregoire�s The Next Washington economic plan, which calls for enhancing Washington�s edge in the global marketplace.

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