South Korean firms and China’s Jilin province agreed to engage in joint venture projects worth 3.9 trillion won ($3.4 billion), a local business organization said Monday.

Under the memorandum of understanding reached in Seoul, 48 South Korean companies and 48 Chinese regional government agencies and businesses will form partnerships to move forward on various business projects, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.

The two sides will engage in such areas as agriculture, construction, energy, distribution and tourism, South Korea’s largest private economic organization said.

<YONHAP PHOTO-0679> 한국 서울- 중국 길림 경제무역교류회 (서울=연합뉴스) 홍기원 기자 = 18일 오전 서울 중구 소공동 롯데호텔에서 열린 '한국 서울- 중국 길림 경제무역교류회'에서 장신썬 주한중국대사(왼쪽부터), 쑨정차이 길림성 당서기, 손경식 대한상공회의소 회장이 건배를 하고 있다. 2012.6.18 xanadu@yna.co.kr/2012-06-18 10:56:32/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2012 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.>
KCCI chairman Sohn Kyung-shik (right) toasts with Sun Zhengcai (center), secretary of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee of China, and Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Zhang Xinsen at a meeting to promote trade in Seoul on Monday.      Yonhap News
한국 서울- 중국 길림 경제무역교류회 (서울=연합뉴스) 홍기원 기자 = 18일 오전 서울 중구 소공동 롯데호텔에서 열린 '한국 서울- 중국 길림 경제무역교류회'에서 장신썬 주한중국대사(왼쪽부터), 쑨정차이 길림성 당서기, 손경식 대한상공회의소 회장이 건배를 하고 있다. 2012.6.18 xanadu@yna.co.kr/2012-06-18 10:56:32/ <저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2012 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지.> KCCI chairman Sohn Kyung-shik (right) toasts with Sun Zhengcai (center), secretary of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee of China, and Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Zhang Xinsen at a meeting to promote trade in Seoul on Monday. Yonhap News

KCCI chairman Sohn Kyung-shik (right) toasts with Sun Zhengcai (center), secretary of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee of China, and Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Zhang Xinsen at a meeting to promote trade in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap News)

Lotte Group, the Korea Software Enterprise Association and HS Machinery Co. have expressed interest in business tie-ups with Jilin, which is located in northwestern China and includes Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture. The province also borders North Korea to the south.

The KCCI said Jilin is one of China’ main heavy industrial hubs with average annual growth in the past three years reaching 13 percent. Such growth promises considerable business opportunities for South Korean companies wanting to diversify into emerging markets.

(Yonhap News)


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com