Connection: Traditional Trading Partner

Washington officials hope to restore trade with South Korea to its former levels as the Asian nation emerges from the region’s economic crisis, John Anderson said Thursday.

Anderson, assistant director of international trade at the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, said the state is seeking proposals for representation in Korea, which as recently as 1997 was Washington’s fourth-biggest trading partner. The post, for which $100,000 has been budgeted in the current biennium, should be filled by the end of September, he said.

Korea has been a significant trading partner of Washington for many years, with agricultural commodities second only to aircraft in the value of exports.

Although sales have plunged the last two years, Anderson said, “There’s consensus that Korea has turned the corner.”

Last month, Spokane established a sister city relationship with Chechon, a similar-sized city two hours southeast of Seoul, the capital. A 16-member delegation for Chechon visited Spokane to formalize the ties. Norm Thorpe, one of the visit’s organizers, said Itron Inc. and Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. make significant sales to South Korean firms.