SEOUL, South Korea — The 30 Maine business and government representatives on the 2007 Gubernatorial Trade Mission scattered throughout Seoul on Monday for more than 40 meetings with potential commerce partners.

It was the first day of the weeklong mission, which consists of two days in Seoul and two days in Tokyo, Japan. The trip was organized by the Maine International Trade Center and includes Gov. John Baldacci, Maine Economic and Community Development Commissioner John Richardson and Maine Agriculture Commissioner Ned Porter, who came along to speak to government officials on behalf of the businesses.

"We’re going to help Maine businesses and create more job opportunities for the people of Maine," Baldacci said on the airplane trip to Asia.

After 29 hours of travel, the group arrived at the Westin Chosun hotel in the neon-lit city of Seoul late Sunday night. White-gloved bellhops greeted the participants and handed out small gifts of incense.

Monday’s breakfast included bacon and eggs alongside traditional Korean soup and kim chi, or fermented vegetables. John Fogarasi, minister counsel from the U.S. Commercial Service office in Seoul, gave a brief presentation on South Korea’s economy and said the U.S. is the country’s top investment partner. The South Korean business climate is robust, and the gross national product of $100 per capita 40 years ago rose to $20,000 in 2006, Fogarasi said.

Each business has been paired with a host from the U.S. Commercial Service of Seoul. The hosts have set up appointments for each of the 14 Maine businesses and accompany each one to its meetings. Many of the meetings require separate translators.

One host, Chris Ahn, accompanied Chris Frank of Intelligent Spatial Technologies in Orono, a company developing a cell phone application called the iPointer that allows users to identify buildings and landmarks by pointing their cell phone.

Frank said his four meetings on Monday, including one with SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest cell phone company, were full of fascinating discussion about his product and business model. Frank said it is too soon to tell what may come of them.

"There were so many of us talking at once and drawing all over white boards. I felt bad for our translator," Frank said.

Ben Metivier, sales manager at Atwood Lobster Co. of Spruce Head, has back-to-back meetings scheduled all week. One of his three Monday appointments was canceled, and he said the two distributors he did meet had sharply contrasting opinions on the market for lobster in South Korea.

"One thought the market was great, and the other was less optimistic about the market in general," Metivier said. Metivier said the first meeting, with a local distributor and restaurant ownership group, had strong possibility of resulting in a sale.

Baldacci, Richardson, Porter and representatives from the Maine International Trade Center visited the Korean International Trade Association in Seoul on Monday. Chairman Hee-Beom Lee said Maine is one of the first states to visit South Korea on a trade mission this year and his country has a strong interest in Maine tourism and education.

"It was really very exciting. KITA has made a strong trade initiative in the Pacific Northwest and they seemed very interested in making a similar initiative in Maine," said Janine Bisaillon-Cary, MITC’s president.

The trade mission participants said their goal is mainly to meet distributors and direct clients and gauge their interest in Maine products. In an orientation session before the trip, participants were warned that South Korean and Japanese etiquette dictates that business interactions are friendly and optimistic, but a seemingly positive meeting does not necessarily follow with a sale. It could take months for the Maine businesses to know whether they will receive orders from South Korean and Japanese companies.

Also on the trade mission are representatives from Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft, Mathews Bros. Co. of Belfast, the University of Maine Business School and the University of Southern Maine, the Maine Office of Tourism, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Maine Port Authority, the Maine Pulp and Paper Association, York County Community College, the Preti Flaherty law firm of Portland, Cold River Vodka of Freeport, The Baggler Co. of Augusta, and Eastman Industries of Portland.

The day concluded with a reception in the home of U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and his wife, Lisa. The Vershbows are originally from Boston and had decorated their living room with Red Sox memorabilia in honor of the team’s World Series victory.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - Bangor Daily News