한국어
On March 7th, Kansas City's new Korean business network, KBN (Korean Business Network), officially launched at Data Locker. This organization, which started with six initial planning committee members centered around Chairman Kim Dong-ju, has now expanded to eight members, with an increasing number of Korean Americans showing interest in more active participation.
KBN aims to provide practical assistance to Korean Americans operating businesses within Kansas City. It is particularly meaningful in that it aspires to be a network gathering that nurtures the next generation while learning and growing together. This represents a differentiated approach from existing gatherings, as it pursues sustainable development through practical business support and intergenerational mentoring beyond simple social networking.
Nearly 50 Korean business owners, professionals, and students attended the inaugural launch, demonstrating keen interest in the new network. Particularly noteworthy was the active participation of second-generation Korean Americans. This represents a meaningful phenomenon showing that KBN's goal of nurturing the next generation is actually receiving great response from the younger generation. Participants had time to share their business experiences with each other and actively discuss future collaboration plans.
At the second meeting held on May 18th, an even more meaningful moment was created. Moon Kyung-hwan, President of the Korean American Society of Greater Kansas City, personally visited to offer encouragement and presented an encouragement fund to celebrate KBN's successful launch. At this meeting as well, Korean business owners from various industries attended to explore mutual cooperation through networking, with particularly active exchanges of opinions between young entrepreneurs and established business owners.
The Korean American Society sincerely congratulates the birth of this new organization and expressed their position of hoping that the Kansas City Korean American community will develop further through cooperation together. President Moon Kyung-hwan emphasized, "The launch of KBN will be a new turning point for our Korean American community. The Korean American Society will actively support and cooperate with their activities."
A Korean American Society official stated, "The launch of a professional business network like KBN is very encouraging for our Korean American community. It's particularly impressive that second-generation Korean Americans are actively participating with the goal of nurturing the next generation." They also added, "While existing Korean organizations have mainly focused on social and cultural activities, KBN is more meaningful because it focuses on practical business growth and economic development."
The Korean American Society expressed expectations that KBN's activities will greatly contribute to enhancing the economic status of the Kansas City Korean American community. The assessment is that "a foundation has been established for our Korean Americans to move beyond the dimension of mere survival to exert economic influence in the local community and furthermore produce business leaders recognized in mainstream American society."
The Korean American Society is showing particular interest in the mentoring program that KBN is promoting. The judgment is that if a system is established where existing successful Korean business owners pass on their experiences to young entrepreneurs and second-generation Korean Americans and provide practical advice, it will become an important foundation for the sustainable development of the Korean American community.
A Korean American Society official promised, "We will continue to cooperate with KBN to contribute together to the economic growth and development of the Kansas City Korean American community. When necessary, we will actively support KBN's activities by utilizing the Korean American Society's network and resources." They also added, "We hope that the two organizations will play complementary roles while leading the development of the entire Korean American community."
The launch of KBN is expected to breathe new vitality into the Kansas City Korean business ecosystem, and through close cooperation with the Korean American Society, they plan to build a more systematic and effective support system. The cooperation between both organizations is expected to become a stepping stone for a new leap forward for the Kansas City Korean American community.