Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI; ) is a business association based in South Korea. Founded in 1884, KCCI represents over 180,000 businesses, ranging from small enterprises to large corporations. As the oldest business organization in the country, it stands as one of the leading business advocacy groups in South Korea, alongside the Federation of Korean Industries.
History The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry traces its origins to the Seoul (Hanseong) Chamber of Commerce, which was founded in 1884. During Japan's occupation of Korea, the Japanese authorities sought to control the local economy by managing regional chambers of commerce. As a result, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Seoul and Korea's Seoul Chamber of Commerce were merged. Through this consolidated organization, Japan exploited Korea's economy by monitoring local markets and promoting the interests of Japanese nationals. After Korea's liberation, efforts were made to revive the Seoul Chamber of Commerce. In 1946, the Korea Chamber of Commerce was established. With the passage of the Chamber of Commerce Act in 1952, it became an official statutory body.
Organization The KCCI consists of 73 regional chambers of commerce and more than 100 prominent institutions and organizations. It also has three international offices located in Beijing, China; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Frankfurt, Germany.
International offices +LocationCountryEstablishedPrimary roleKorean businesses servedBeijingChina1993Supports Korean businesses in China; serves as executive office of the Korea Chamber of Commerce in China~6,000 members (as of 2015)HanoiVietnam2009Supports Korean businesses in Vietnam; serves as executive office of the Korea Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam—FrankfurtGermany2024Economic cooperation platform for Korean and German businesses; collaborates with the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry—
See also Economy of South Korea International Chamber of Commerce
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