Country/Region: Seoul, Korea
Status: Completed

The Global HR Forum 2007 “Global Talent, Global Properity!”
October 23 to 25, 2007

This premier three-day event was held under the central theme of “HR Solutions for the Next Generation,” an opening venue for the exchange of in-depth information and discussions on future HR strategies and visions. The conference brought together global leaders from the public and private sector who are committed to upgrading the quality of human resources and generating sustainable growth for the global economy.

Of particular highlight, participants were able to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures of the East and West to build a wide-reaching network for the development and utilization of global talents. In a Keynote Address the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, spoke of his humanitarian work and the William J. Clinton Foundation in its efforts to promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming.

A few notable sessions included:

• The “Korea, the Middle-East and Africa-International HR Meeting” session held by various ministers hailing from Sudan, Egypt, Dubai, and Tunisia addressed the stereotypes associated with Middle-Eastern and African labor and how to remain competitive in a global context by shifting countries from oil-based economies to knowledge-based economies.
• The “Globalization, Foreign Workers, and the Impact on Homogenous Countries” session discussed how Korea has maintained its identity as a homogenous country for a very long time. However, with the aging population and the reluctant young population to take up jobs in 3D (Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult) sectors, in addition to the immigration pressure created by the wage difference in comparison to Korea’s surrounding developing countries led to Korea’s “foreign workers program” started in 1991. In 2007, Korea is launching the “permanent residence program” for semi-skilled workers to fill the increasing shortage of labour. Meanwhile, international marriages between Koreans and foreigners are the phenomenon of the decade which have shocked Koreans whose founding myth has been primordial and homogeneous. Now the population of foreign origin in Korea is reaching 1 million and there is much talk about discrimination, migrant rights, and the development of a multicultural and multi-racial society.