Tallinn Hosts Korea Export Day To Strengthen Trade And Collaboration

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 20. Tallinn hosted Korea Export Day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bringing together Estonian companies, Korean partners, and industry experts to explore new cooperation opportunities and share insights on entering the Korean market, Trend reports.

The business seminar was opened by Mariin Ratnik, Deputy Undersecretary for Economic and Development Cooperation at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She noted that ties between Estonia and Korea have grown significantly in recent years.

“We opened our embassy in Seoul in 2020 and a business center in 2023, while Korea established its embassy in Tallinn earlier this year,” Ratnik said.

Estonian exports to Korea have increased by nearly 50 percent over the past two years, with defense industry cooperation emerging as a major new sector.

Ratnik highlighted the example of Korea's aerospace and defense company Hanwha Aerospace, which has signed cooperation agreements with Estonian firms Milrem, Nortal, and SensusQ. Other focus areas include timber and wooden houses, energy, maritime and shipbuilding, biotechnology, and the food and beverage sector.

The event also featured remarks by Estonian Ambassador to Korea Tanel Sepp, Korean Ambassador to Estonia Ileung Kim, and Enterprise Estonia's Head of Export Department Eva-Kristiina Ponomarjov. An overview of Korea's economy and business opportunities was presented by Samsik Lee, Director General of KOTRA Helsinki.

Lee pointed to opportunities for Estonia's timber industry, noting that Koreans jokingly refer to their country as the “Republic of Apartments” since more than half the population lives in apartment blocks-many of which are now in need of renovation.

A panel discussion on defense industry cooperation included Hanwha Aerospace Romania Senior Vice President Peter Bae, Milrem's Director of Industrial Partnerships Paul Clayton, and Estonian Defense Industry Association Cluster Manager Rene Ehasalu. The discussion was moderated by Carmel Tellis, Deputy Head of Mission at the Estonian Embassy in Seoul.

Participants agreed that building trust requires face-to-face meetings and mutually beneficial partnerships rather than one-off projects. Bae emphasized that investment can take many forms-from product orders and joint development to direct investments or joint ventures-and encouraged Estonian companies to collaborate with Hanwha.

Ehasalu stressed that long-term partnerships are key in Korea, while Clayton compared building cooperation with Korean partners to learning a dance-first observing and evaluating, then taking steps toward deeper collaboration.

A separate discussion on green technologies and the energy sector, moderated by Enterprise Estonia's Marek Roostar, featured Samsung C&T Senior Vice President Jung E. Kim, Fermi Energia CEO Kalev Kallemets, and Estonian Green Technology Association CEO Kädi Ristkok. Ristkok underlined the importance of moving beyond pilot projects toward scalable business opportunities.

Enterprise Estonia's Korea export advisor Soyoung Im and business center project manager Hyejeong Yu presented upcoming plans for 2025–2026, inviting Estonian companies interested in the Korean market to get involved.

The day concluded with sector-specific matchmaking sessions, where participants explored concrete business opportunities and exchanged advice with experts from both Estonia and Korea.

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