Asean-Korea Centre to boost Lao handicraft industry
Asean-Korea Centre to boost Lao handicraft industry
The Asean-Korea Centre anticipates that it will be able to help Lao handicraft manufacturers to successfully access Korean markets in the years to come, after launching an exclusive discussion platform in Vientiane today.
The Product Development Seminar for Handicraft SMEs in Laos, which is being held in Vientiane today, is designed to support Korean market penetration of Lao handicraft makers through further enhancing their product development capacities.
According to the centre, Laos has many outstanding qualities in terms of handicraft products but it is unable to access the Korean market successfully because of the traditional process of commercialisation.
As a result, Lao handicraft makers need to enhance their product development capacities in terms of design and marketing for global market penetration.
At today's seminar, experts from the Republic of Korea in the handicraft sector will also give lectures on the themes of ‘Planning direction and concept of hand-made brands' along with several interesting presentations on handicraft products in the Republic of Korea.
The Centre's Secretary General Kim Young-sun noted that “The Centre introduced various Lao handicraft products to the Korean market through the Asean Fair last year. There is growing interest in Laos, with its chairmanship of Asean in 2016, which is also an attractive destination for Korean tourists.”
He also hopes that this seminar will serve as a platform to enhance Korean market access for Lao handicraft manufacturers as well as to increase their competitiveness.
Laos has a wide range of well-known handicraft products, almost all of them having been on display at domestic and foreign handicraft fairs over the past years. Last year, the festival featured a total of more than 200 booths, and was attended by officials from Asean and European embassies to Laos.
The discussion event is being organised by the Asean-Korea Centre, Laos' Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Korea Crafts Council.
