Deputy Minister Lee Seung-ho of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT) delivers his congratulatory speech at the 23rd Logistics Day ceremony held on Oct. 30 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry International Conference Hall.

About 500 people including legislators, government officials and leaders of the logistics industry in Korea gathered at the Korea Commerce and Industry 

International Conference Room on Oct. 30 to honor the 23rd Logistics Day.

The annual Logistics Day takes place every year to honor those in the industry who made great contributions to the growth of the industry in the past two decades and give them credit in the hopes that they will continue to make contributions to further the growth of the industry. 

The industry’s turnover amounted to around 90 trillion won last year by 180,000 logistics firms, which employed 580,000 personnel around the country. The industry grew 6.5 percent on average over the last two decades, making a big contribution to the growth of the economy.

Deputy Minister Lee Seung-ho for Transport Policy and Logistics of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said at the ceremony that the logistics industry in Korea has made a shining development with its logistics bases in five continents and 26 logistics complexes around the world, with the Incheon International Airport and the Busan Harbor becoming the global standard logistics bases in Korea. The logistics industry in Korea, with world-level logistics bases, has been able to back up the manufacturing, construction and logistics sectors, leading to the key industries for production, logistics and consumption providing logistics services every step of the way. As a result, Korea has become the 8th-largest trading country in the world. The logistics industry grew 6.5 percent annually in these periods, providing 580,000 jobs, taking charge of a corner of the Korea’s economic progress, positioning itself as a promising future service industry during the process. 

In the next 20 years, the industry will try to become a first-rate logistics industry in global terms, backed up by its valuable experience in the past 20 years of growth. 

“We now have to cope with great changes ahead like ‘Fusion’ and ‘Expansion’ to continue with the development to be a world-class service industry,” said Lee. “The first change is fusion with related industries with the rapid development of electronics generalizing omni-channel strategies, integrating logistics, trade and finance.” 

The second change is the expansion of the logistics service areas with a major FTA like TTP being concluded to expand the global logistics service market. The deputy minister said Korea has to deal with reform and cooperation so the logistics industry will have a chance to be a globally-leading industry.

Lee also said Korea has to get together to be to improve the services to be more customer-oriented and resolve conflicts in the cargo transportation market with “cooperation and mutual survival” culture to pave the way for the growth of a new industry. “We also have to develop high value-added logistics service through upgraded R&D activities and investments in high-tech facilities and expand our overseas operations through M&As and expanded advancement into global logistics market,” he said. “MOLIT is ready to provide any support to the industry on its way to be a global first-class logistics industry. The government will introduce the “Municipal High-tech Logistics Complex System” to lead the overseas advancement of logistics firms and expand environment-friendly logistics activity and turn the logistics market into an advanced one. 

The government will also help nurture manpower for the industry by holding regular employment expositions, the deputy minister said.

One of the key events on the day was an award ceremony to honor those who have made great contributions to the development of the industry, totaling some 51 industry people, and related industrial sectors.

The diversification of the sales channels, such as online and through mobile, enables domestic buyers to purchase commodities from overseas, and the logistics industry has made a huge jump in growth, with home delivery packages numbering some 1.6 billion units in annual terms.

At the award presentation ceremony, one medal, two citations, four Presidential packaging awards, four Prime Minister’s packaging awards, and 40 Minister of Land, Culture and Tourism awards were presented to 51 people from the logistics industry and related sectors.

The highest award at the ceremony, the Industrial Merit Bronze Tower Medal went to Cha Dong-ho, president of the home delivery service of CJ Korea Express Corp. in recognition of his over 30-year long career service with the industry.

The medal winner won the medal for his career-long contribution to the development of the industry in such areas as expanding its operation overseas, the creation of jobs, and the development of logistics using drones to deliver packages.

Representatives of the logistics companies which won medals, and citations at the 23rd Logistics Day ceremony held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce International Conference Hall raise their arms to swear to do more for the development of the logistics industry in Korea.

The Industrial Award went to Director Koo Hyung-joon of Hyundai Glovis for his contribution to the development of the Supply Control Management to reduce the logistics costs and helping the SMEs in the logistics industry, as well as start-ups for mutual survival of all kinds of logistics companies in the industry.

President Kim Young-rok  of Jeyang Air Transport Co. won the Industrial Award for his contribution to normalization of shipping between Jeju Island and Incheon, which was interrupted following the Sewol-ho cruiser sinking in March, resulting in the death of some 300 people.

The winners of the Presidential Citation included Hanjin, Director Kim Heung-kyu of Kookbo Co., and the Incheon International Aviation Corp. and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Research Staff Lim Jae-kook.

The Prime Ministerial Citation winners included the Ulsan Metropolitan City and Hotel Shilla in Seoul.

Also getting the certificates for excellence in managing warehouses, and in their operation, providing very good services to cargo owners were GLS Co., Assist Korea Co., and Yongma Logis Co.. They were given the Certificates for Excellent Logistics Warehouse Companies. Also, winning the certificates were four companies for reducing toxic gases in their operations including Daeshin Cargo Trucking Co., Samsung Well Story Co., GS Retail Co., and Hanjin. They won the Excellent Green Logistics Practice Companies Certificate. The 10 winners from the Youth UCC Public Exhibition with the main theme of the jobs for youths in the logistics industry also got their awards during the ceremony.

The sideline events included the Future Logistics Forum featuring keynote speeches by a number of speakers led by Professor Song Sang-hwa of the Incheon University in Incheon. He spoke on the Challenges and Chances for the Logistics Industry Following the Changes in the Omni Channel Logistics.

A scene from the 23rd Logistics Day ceremony held on Oct. 30 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul.(Photos:MOLIT)