SOUTH KOREA

New Zealand and

South Korea business ties

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) and New Zealand have complementary economies and are natural trading partners. South Korea is New Zealand’s sixth-largest trading partner, with two-way goods and services trade totalling NZ$4.7 billion in the 12 months to September 2018, more than four times 1990 levels.

The Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (KNZFTA) entered into force in December 2015 and is expected to help drive further growth in two-way trade.

As liberal democracies with market economies, we also work together in regional and global forums, and have cooperation agreements for film, science and technology, education and the Antarctic.

Meet our

Trade Commissioner

Stephen Blair

Seoul

Stephen is New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner to South Korea. Based in Seoul, Stephen is responsible for facilitating and promoting trade and investment, and leads the NZTE team to build commercial relationships relevant to New Zealand businesses.

Stephen has previously served as New Zealand’s Consul-General and Trade Commissioner to Melbourne.

Before joining NZTE, Stephen worked in the banking sector and held a variety of senior management roles in Australia including as National Operations Manager of the business advisory service, Enterprise Connect.

Stephen attended North Carolina State University on scholarship and is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington in Economics and History. Stephen represented New Zealand in athletics and has served on several not-for-profit boards in New Zealand and Australia.