The Korea Consumer Agency held the ‘Strengthening Consumer Affairs Activity and Specialist Training’ program by inviting 16 government officials in consumer affairs field in eight nations during Aug. 27 to Sept. 12, 2013.

  The Fellowship program was designed to advance core capacity of government officials in charge of consumer affairs in developing nations by sharing Korea’s knowhow and experience in the field concerned and co-organized by the KCA and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

  The eight nations were Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Kenya, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan. And the Program was composed of lectures and discussion on nine themes including Consumer Policy in Korea, consumer dispute resolution system, and consumer education, and workshops to address pending issues in consumer affairs field in each participating nation.

  The Program also included study visits and field trips related to the lecture themes including visits to Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall and a class of Consumer Studies of major university in Korea. Also, Program participants enjoyed a chance to comprehensively understand Korean culture and industries by visiting major industrial sites, Gyeong-ju city (a huge historic site in southern Korea), and homes of KCA staff members.

  Meanwhile, during the KCA Orientation on Aug. 29, President Dae-pyo Jung of the KCA reiterated that the Program shall pave the way for sharing knowhow and experience to address consumer issues in each nation and active discussion on methods to develop consumer affairs in the future in the present condition with consumer issues going global.