Representatives of South Korean companies including units of Samsung and LG met high-level Myanmar regime civil servants at an event in Yangon organized by the Korean Embassy last month, according to the Financial Times.
Participants in the “Dialogue for Economic Cooperation between Team Korea and Myanmar” included the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, a Myanmar government agency; the United Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a lobby group representing the private sector in dealings with the government; and the Korean Chamber of Commerce.
The newspaper reported that executives representing units of Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and steelmaker Posco attended.
Activists and the shadow civilian National Unity Government have urged international businesses to shun the Myanmar regime, which has been roundly condemned and sanctioned by Western governments for its gross human rights violations.
The meeting was held at the Lotte Hotel in Yangon, which is controlled by Posco and stands on land leased from the Myanmar Quartermaster General’s Office.
A spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry told the Financial Times: “From the beginning of the Myanmar situation, the Korean government has consistently called for an end to violence against civilians, the release of detained persons, and the restoration of democracy in Myanmar, and is in the position of actively supporting ASEAN’s efforts to restore peace, stability and democracy in Myanmar.”
South Korea is one of Myanmar’s biggest foreign investors. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has condemned the military coup in Myanmar.
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