Access Asia · October 26–31, 2026
Access Korea 2026
UpcomingSeoul · Seongnam · Incheon · Daejeon · Paju
Showcase your company. Build relationships. Discover international opportunities.
GAACC returns to South Korea, building on the historic October 2025 delegation, to deepen the strategic partnership between Greater Austin and Korea's premier tech, industrial, and cultural hubs.
- Sectors
- Semiconductors · AI and data infrastructure · Aviation · Advanced tech · Food service
- Meetings
- Seoul Metro Government · Seongnam City · K-water
- Site visits
- SK Hynix · LG CNS · CJ Foodville · Incheon Airport · Korean Air · Woori Bank
About
Why South Korea, and why now.
The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC) is the leading trusted partner for driving local economic growth and opportunity for businesses with ties to Asia and Asian Americans in Central Texas. In partnership with the City of Austin, GAACC created Access Asia, a program that promotes inbound investment into the Greater Austin region and supports the creation of win-win business collaborations in international investment, trade, technology, innovation, startups, manufacturing, and more.
Access Asia is dedicated to building strong and seamless economic ties between Austin and Asia. For organizations committed to global growth, it provides the network, insights, intelligence, matchmaking, and infrastructure required to galvanize business between two of the world's most dynamic, growing, and rapidly converging economies. In June 2026, GAACC led a successful three-week delegation to Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore. Following the historic October 2025 delegation to Korea, GAACC now returns to South Korea, once again bringing together senior government officials from the City of Austin, surrounding regional municipalities, and prominent business leaders to further deepen the partnership.
Special Support Provided By
Partners and hosts
Why South Korea
capital
of the $1.4 trillion Taiwan, Korea, and Japan are committing to U.S. investment is Korean capital, concentrated in shipbuilding, semiconductors, energy, AI infrastructure, quantum, and advanced materials.
Target sector
EV and autonomous mobility
Battery suppliers, EV component manufacturers, autonomous driving software, and charging infrastructure.
Target sector
Clean energy and smart grid
Solar, energy storage systems, and grid software solutions.
Target sector
Creative tech, gaming, and digital media
Korean gaming studios, digital content creators, and entertainment tech seeking access to Austin's media ecosystem.
Delegation itinerary
Six days, parallel groups, one shared agenda.
Each day, the delegation divides into parallel groups so members can cover more ground, then reconvenes for the meetings, meals, and receptions the full delegation attends together.
Please note that the itinerary and schedule are subject to change based on circumstances.
Access Korea program itinerary
Oct 26
Monday
Seoul
All delegation
- 9:15-11:00 AMSeoul Metro Government. Flagship facility tour
- 11:30 AM-12:15 PMUS Embassy Briefing. Briefing session
- 12:00-1:00 PMWoori Bank HQ. Luncheon Reception
- 1:30-2:15 PMMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Korea). Delegation visit
- 6:30-8:30 PMTBD. Dinner Reception
Group 2
- 2:30-3:15 PMCJ Foodville. Briefing and tour
Group 1
- 3:00-5:00 PMSM Entertainment. HQ visit and tour
Oct 27
Tuesday
Seoul
All delegation
- 9:30-10:30 AMSungshin University. Delegation visit / MOU
- 6:30-8:30 PMUT Austin Alumni. Korea Dinner Reception
Group 1
- 1:30-4:00 PMSK Hynix HQ visit and factor tour. HQ visit and factory tour
Group 2
- 11:00 AM-5:00 PMLG VIP Innovation Center Tour. Luncheon Reception & LG CNS SmartCity Solution Discussion & LG Data Center Tour
Oct 28
Wednesday
Hwaseong
All delegation
- 9:30-10:30 AMHwaseong City
- 11:00 AM-12:00 PMKIA Hwasung Autoland Tour
- 7:00 PMNight Market Dinner. Free Time
Group 1
- 2:00-3:00 PM"GAIA" Gyeonggi Province. Academia-industry alliance conference
- 3:00-5:00 PMAEROSPACE and Defense Meetup. Business networking & startup session
Group 2
- 2:30-4:00 PMIncheon Airport VIP Tour IACC meeting
- 5:00-6:00 PMKorean Air HQ. Meeting
Oct 29
Thursday
Hwaseong
All delegation
- 8:30-12:30 PMK-water AI Water Treatment Plant. Flagship facility & travel to K-water HQ
- 12:30-1:00 PMK-water. Lunch, Luncheon Reception & MOU Signing
- 3:00 PMSungshimdang Bakery. Stop by world famous bakery "Sungshimdang" en route
- 6:00 PMGwangmyeong City. Dinner Reception
Oct 30
Friday
Incheon
All delegation
- 9:00 AM-12:00 PMMinistry of Science and ICT (MSIT) / INNOPOLIS / KITA. Briefing Session & Lunch Session
Group 1
- 2:00-6:00 PMDMZ Tour. Site visit with LINK
Group 2
- 2:00-5:00 PMAXMOS and dcamp. Aerospace/Defense w Starburst Korea
Group 3
- 3:00-5:00 PMSIKA Korea. Construction Industry Meetup: Airport / EV Battery Plant / Semi-Conductor / Data Center
Oct 31
Saturday
Seoul
All delegation
- 8:00 AMHotel Check Out. Free Time / Departure
Delegation
Who is traveling.
Senior government officials, business leaders, and institutional partners from across Central Texas.
Genesis Gavino
City of Austin
Chief of Staff
Jeff Swiatek
SH 130 Concession Company
CFO
Mick Hawton
Headwater
Partner and Chief Strategy Officer
Jong Lee
SIKA
Global Director
Suin Yi
Texas A&M University
Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jay Choi
AngelouEconomics
Advisor
Mark Duval
GAACC
President and CEO
Clifford Chiu
Vista Equity Partners
Senior Advisor
Bruno Welt
EllisDon
Vice President
Fang Fang
Big Plan, LLC
Founder and CEO
Lloyd Saldanha
Big Plan, LLC
Founder
Ashley Kim
Applied Materials
K-Business Committee Member
Mike Kamerlander
Hays Caldwell EDP
President and CEO
Jimmy Ferguson
Ferguson Family McDonald’s
Owner Operator
Cindi Ferguson
Ferguson Family McDonald’s
Owner Operator
Brian Dyer
Buda Economic Development
Director
Julio Jauregui
Amarillo National Bank
Austin Market President and SVP
Alexander Kim
SSOE
Program Development Lead
Paul Smith
Twelve Rivers Realty
Broker-Owner
Minh Tran
GAACC · EmmyEvan Austin•Apparel
Chairman, GAACC · Chairman and CEO, EmmyEvan
Hector Quintenar
Trade Management Solutions
Managing Partner
Ghizlane Badawi
Austin Bergstrom International Airport
CEO
Jihoon Jeong
Texas A&M
Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Mac Cummins
City of Austin
Economic Development Director
Mike Rogers
City of Austin
Assistant City Manager
Sam Lee
DLX Realty Group
Broker/Realtor
Matt Patton
AngelouEconomics
Chief Economist
Herbert Kim
HSK CPA PLLC l Innovator Wealth Advisor LLC
CPA, MBA, CFP
Access Korea
Purpose of the visit.
The visit to South Korea is a direct result of the deepening business, community, and cultural ties between Austin and Korea, from Samsung's $37 billion Taylor expansion to UT Austin's growing alumni network in Seoul. Building on the historic October 2025 delegation, this trip reflects GAACC's commitment to deepening mutual understanding and fostering meaningful international business collaboration.
- 01
Learn more about South Korea, its people, business, and culture
- 02
Engage with key government organizations across Korea's technology, industrial, and cultural hubs and build lasting relationships
- 03
Strengthen diplomatic and economic relationships between South Korea and the City of Austin
- 04
Explore new avenues for trade and investment in semiconductors, AI infrastructure, aviation, advanced tech, and global food service
- 05
Lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships in startups, technology, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries
Registration
Join a limited delegation to Seoul.
Join Austin's business, government, and civic leaders for a week of meetings across Seoul, Seongnam, Incheon, Daejeon, and Paju.