Yoon Kim, Chairman of Samyang Group, "Considering Acquisition of Japanese Material and Chemical Companies"

【Tokyo=Kyungmin Kim, Special Correspondent】 Yoon Kim, Chairman of Samyang Group, stated, "I want to actively acquire and merge (M&A) Japanese semiconductor material and chemical companies."
Chairman Kim said in an interview with Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 29th, "There are many small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan with excellent technological capabilities. We are considering technology investment by acquiring Japanese companies in future growth areas such as semiconductors," he said.
Furthermore, Chairman Kim argued, "Korea and Japan should form a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to create a single economic community and jointly respond to the tariff policies of the Trump administration in the United States."
Chairman Kim, who serves as the Korean chairman of the 'Korea-Japan Economic Association', a symbol of Korea-Japan economic cooperation, emphasized, "Korea and Japan are manufacturing powerhouses centered on automobiles and have a high dependency on exports to the United States," adding, "The tariff risk from the United States is a shared challenge for both countries."
He continued, "Korea and Japan should form a single economic zone to increase the free movement of people, goods, and capital," urging the conclusion of an FTA between the two countries and Korea's early accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and also proposed the necessity of joint entry into third-country markets.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. Chairman Kim stated, "For Korea, Japanese companies are reliable partners," and emphasized, "Politics and economics should be separated, and neighboring countries should cooperate to achieve mutual prosperity." He highlighted the necessity of economic cooperation by recalling past instances where business transactions froze due to deteriorating Korea-Japan relations.
Meanwhile, on the 27th and 28th, the 'Korea-Japan Business Conference' was held in Seoul, attended by businesspeople and experts from both countries. The conference confirmed a joint commitment to cooperation in energy fields such as the hydrogen industry and decarbonization.
Nikkei introduced Samyang Holdings as a mid-sized conglomerate celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, expanding its business from sugar manufacturing to the chemical and biopharmaceutical fields.

km@fnnews.com Kyungmin Kim, Reporter