Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 20th Seoul International Finance Forum hosted by 

Financial News, the first-class financial newspaper. This year, Oaktree, one of the world's 

largest private equity firms, is participating in this Forum as a co-organizer. I express my 

gratitude to John Frank, Vice Chairman of Oaktree who has come a long way to this Forum. 

I remember that Financial News held the “1st Seoul International Financial Forum” as the first 

Korean media company at the International Conference Hall of the Korea Exchange in 2000 

when it began publication. It turns me shameful when I think about the situation at the time 

the preparation was rather awkward. However, as we accumulated experience by continuously 

holding the Forum in the 5th, 10th and 20th years, the Seoul International Finance Forum 

became our pride to have established itself as “The Best Forum in Asia”, the leading financial 

forum in Asia going beyond Korea's. We, all the employees of Financial News, including myself, 

know very well that this is thanks to all of your support and enthusiasm.

In the meantime, a lot of people have helped us with this forum. Especially, I would like 

to express my sincere thanks to the Deputy Prime Ministers of Economic Affairs 

and the Ministers of Strategy and Finance. Past treasurers of the financial committee, 

financial supervisor, and heads of financial institutions have always supported this forum. 

I am also grateful for their support. However, the main characters who made 

the Seoul International Finance Forum today are you, a galaxy of the finance people. 

I would like to express my thanks all of the chairmen of the financial holding companies, 

and all the financial people Korea who represent Korea.

In the past, many world-renowned scholars have participated in this forum. 

I remember among them, are there Professor Sakakibara of Japan who is famous 

for Mr. Yen, Professor Finn Kydland who was the winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, 

and Chairman Stephen Roach Morgan Stanley of Asian Chairman, a renowned economist. 

Today's keynote speaker is Chairman Jim Rogers, a renowned global investor.  In particular, 

I anticipate he will address an interesting speech about the investment strategy of North Korea.

Looking at the theme of the Seoul International Finance Forum, we can guess the footsteps 

of the Korean financial development in the past two decades. In 2009, just after the global 

financial crisis, the theme of "New Market Direction after the Global Crisis" was chosen 

and in 2015, was the theme of "Fin Tech, Savior or Destroyer". And this year 's theme is 

'the age of uncertainty, asking about the future of finance'.

The fourth industrial revolution led by artificial intelligence, Big Data, and the block chain brings 

opportunities and risks to financial practitioners at the same time. I hope that this forum held 

for two days,  today and tomorrow, will be a good time to present the rudder of future finance.

Becoming twenty years old means reaching adulthood. This year is the 20th anniversary of the 

Financial Forum and next year is the 20th anniversary of the launch of Financial News. Financial 

News is a young but faithful newspaper. It is also a newspaper that promotes mutual growth with 

financial professionals. Please keep your eyes on the way forward over 20 years to 50 years and 

100 years. I wish you all the best. Thank you very much.

CEO and Chairman, Financial News

Jae Ho Jeon