FS begins visit to Seoul, Korea (with photos/video)
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After his arrival, he visited the Bank of Korea, the country's central bank, and met with its Governor, Mr Rhee Chang-yong, to exchange views on developments in finance, trade and economic landscapes of the two places, in the region and around the globe, as well as monetary and interest rate policies and investment trends. During the meeting, Mr Chan shared the latest developments in Hong Kong, particularly the continuous capital inflow to Hong Kong's financial system, reflecting international investors' confidence in Hong Kong in the current international environment. He stated that Hong Kong maintains a free and open economic and financial system and the Linked Exchange Rate System under the "one country, two systems" principle. Hong Kong's unique advantage of being connected to the Mainland and the world, as well as its highly internationalised characteristics, is further attracting more international participants and capital to enjoy opportunities brought by developments in China. Hong Kong's international ties are continuously deepening.
Thereafter, he visited the Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) and met with its President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Park Il-young. The KIC was established by the Korean government in 2005, responsible for managing part of the country's foreign exchange reserves and other public funds for overseas investments. Currently, over US$200 billion of assets are under its management. During the meeting, both sides had an in-depth exchange of opinions on various issues of mutual concern, such as trends of investment markets, asset allocation strategies and digital asset developments.
Mr Chan shared recent developments in Hong Kong's economic and financial markets and its important role in connecting capital and investors from China and around the globe. He said that Hong Kong's capital market is closely connected to the Mainland's innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. The recent stock market is vibrant, with many leading Mainland I&T enterprises having listed or planning to list in Hong Kong. To international investors, Hong Kong serves as a highly effective gateway to tap into I&T opportunities in Greater China. He welcomed Korean capital to better use the Hong Kong market to allocate international investments and jointly seize the vast business opportunities of I&T developments.
In the evening, Mr Chan had dinner with leaders in Korea's digital asset industry, where he shared Hong Kong's developments and opportunities in digital assets. He also encouraged the local industry to actively participate in the Hong Kong market and jointly explore and expand more applications and developments in digital assets.
Mr Chan will continue his visit to Seoul tomorrow (July 9), including attending a seminar on the capital markets of Hong Kong and Korea, as well as a business luncheon jointly organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he will introduce Hong Kong's new advantages and opportunities to the Korean financial and business sectors.
Ends/Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:46
Issued at HKT 19:46
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