Posted October 22, 2007

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- An organizational meeting for a Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chattanooga was held October 18 in the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Board Room. The newly formed body will operate as a volunteer council of the Chattanooga Chamber.

Daniel Park, president of the Korean-American Chamber, said he has witnessed “great economic development and growth of the Korean community in Chattanooga and the surrounding area” during his 20 years in the city.

“There are now 3,500 Korean-Americans and over 200 small businesses that are run by Korean-Americans in the greater Chattanooga area,” Park said. “With a strong work ethic, we are continuing to grow and strive for our American dream.”

Park said the new chamber’s mission will be to support existing Korean-American businesses and to “help create new business opportunities for Korean-Americans.”

“In addition, the Korean-American Chamber will support civic, social and economic interests of the local community and promote unity to build a stronger business community for all,” he said.

Eugene Yu, president of the Federation of Korean-American Chambers in the Southeast, pointed out that there are some 2.5 million Koreans in the U.S. and that one out of eight own their own business, with annual total revenues of $46 billion. He said Korean-Americans have more businesses per capita than any other ethnic group in the U.S.

Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Edd Wilson said the new Korean-American Chamber will serve “as the first cultural council of the Chattanooga Area of Commerce. We hope it will be an opportunity to more closely unite two cultures and create a stronger community.”