Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan visited the Sejong plant of Kolmar Korea, selected as this year's first reshoring company to return its operations to Korea.
Kolmar Korea said Minister Kim visited the Sejong plant in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong, on Thursday morning and personally delivered the selection certificate recognizing Kolmar Korea as a company returning to domestic operations. Kang Kyung-sung, president of KOTRA, and Lee Sang-hoon, chairman of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, also attended the event. The Sejong plant serves as the global headquarters of Kolmar's production bases, manufacturing 890 million units of basic skincare products, sunscreen, and other cosmetics annually for some 4,500 customers in Korea and abroad.
After touring the plant's major production facilities, Minister Kim held a meeting with officials from Kolmar Korea and other returning companies. In addition to Kolmar Group Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun, officials from eight companies selected as reshoring firms attended, including Simmtech (CEO Kim Young-koo), Nepes (CEO Lee Chang-woo), Taihan Cable & Solution (CEO Song Jong-min), Sungwoo Hitech (Vice Chairman Cho Sung-hyun), Hanwha Engine (CEO Kim Jong-seo), Taesung (Executive Director Jin Chang-man), and Jahwa Electronics (CEO Kim Chan-yong). The meeting discussed ways to boost investment by returning companies and improve the support system.
"We have entered an era in which the competitiveness of companies and nations is determined by how stable a supply chain they can secure," Minister Kim said. "The government will actively support companies so that returning to domestic operations and investing in regional areas can be the most rational and attractive choice." Vice Chairman Yoon responded, "As the status of 'Made in Korea' K-beauty has risen worldwide, we plan to strengthen our production capacity with Sejong, home to our basic skincare production base, as a hub to actively respond to global demand." He added, "In line with the government's policy of supporting companies returning home, we will enhance K-beauty manufacturing competitiveness and serve as a bridge driving growth across the industry."
Meanwhile, Kolmar Korea was selected as the first reshoring company this January after it expressed its intention to return to Korea to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, consolidating its production in China at the Wuxi plant and expanding its domestic production base.
