Introduction

      The Korea International Chamber of Commerce (KICC) was established by Supreme People's Assembly under a directive from Kim Jong Il, the supreme leader of DPRK. The current President and Chairman of the Board is Ms. Kerri Zhou. She pointed out the objective of the KICC is the only one to promote world peace by means of friendly cooperation and assistance between DPRK and international organizations. At an exclusive interview with Hong Kong Eastweek in July, 2010, Ms. Zhou indicated that the establishment of the KICC was done in part to help alleviate regional tension and introduce DPRK to the world. There has never been any organization similar to the KICC in the history of DPRK, and this is the first step toward liberation. She added opening the door to DPRK is the primary objective of the KICC, which would allow the world to see the market potential in DPRK and encourage Koreans to understand more about international society.

      Ms. Zhou and top officials at the KICC have visited DPRK many times with leaders of the ruling party, policy makers and military leaders. They also have fostered close bonds and built relationships with top officials in DPRK. As for the nature of the KICC, Ms. Zhou stated bluntly that KICC not only engages in business activities, but also acts as a facilitator between DPRK and the outside world for important international events. The KICC is an international organization.

      For all international affairs that the KICC has mediated, the most serious was the detainment of the two US female reporters by the DPRK’s government. With permission from the DPRK’s government, Ms. Zhou and Mr. Eric Edward Hotung, a celebrity from Hong Kong, contacted the US government for details regarding release of the detainees and helped resolved this crisis. Afterwards, Ms. Zhou happily recalled the process: KICC had just been founded and that incident was the first challenge it faced.

      KICC’s latest initiative is a cooperative project with the U.N. World Food Programme (UNWFP) to provide humanitarian support and aid to children in DPRK.