POSCO’s Beijing office building opens ‘K-Maru’ as a support hub for Korean companies

[Financial News] An integrated public-agency hub supporting companies operating in China and Korean residents there has opened at POSCO Holdings Inc.’s Beijing office building. The first K-Maru established through a public-private partnership combines private-sector infrastructure with public agencies’ support services. Once all 22 agencies have moved in, it will be the largest K-Maru in the world.
POSCO Holdings Inc. said it held an opening ceremony for Beijing K-Maru at POSCO Center in Beijing, China, on the 2nd and began full-scale operations. Attendees included Ro Jae-hun, South Korea’s ambassador to China; Lee Sang-yoon, director general for public policy at the Ministry of Economy and Finance; Jang Sang-hae, head of KOTRA’s China Regional Headquarters; Lee Won-cheol, head of POSCO China; and representatives of the agencies moving in.
K-Maru is an integrated platform that brings together offices of South Korean public agencies scattered across overseas locations to provide public services to companies operating locally and Korean residents abroad. Its name combines “K,” symbolizing the Republic of Korea, with “maru,” a space in a traditional Korean house.
Beijing K-Maru is located on the 11th and 12th floors of POSCO Center. It has dedicated workspaces for each agency, smart conference rooms, flexible work lounges and rooms for public inquiries. Wangjing, where POSCO Center is located, is a business district with a concentration of global companies, Korean exporters and Korean residents. Six organizations are currently based there, including KOTRA, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE), Beijing IT Support Center, Export Incubator and Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KIPPA). The remaining 16 are expected to move in in stages by 2031.
POSCO Holdings Inc. plans to provide a work environment and infrastructure to help POSCO Center in Beijing establish itself as a hub supporting Korean companies’ overseas operations and the Korean community.[email protected] Jeong Won-il, Staff Writer