SHAH ALAM, Dec 19 — Bilateral trade between Malaysia and South Korea until November has hit RM100.6 billion, mainly in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, said Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
He said 400 registered South Korean companies are currently investing in Malaysia, with Korean companies having employed over 50,000 Malaysians in the country from 1980 until September this year.
Tengku Zafrul was speaking at the opening ceremony of Ediya Coffee's first store in Malaysia at the Elmina Lakeside Mall today.
Commenting on the Korean-brand coffee outlet, he said Ediya Coffee plans to open 300 stores in Malaysia within three to five years.
"(But) I think what is important are the opportunities that it creates. We have talked about job opportunities, upskilling opportunities for the young and strengthening the franchise industry in Malaysia," Tengku Zafrul said.
Meanwhile, Ediya Coffee Services Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mohd Hafiz Ab Rahim said the company plans to open 50 branches throughout Malaysia next year.
Ediya Coffee is a leading coffee chain in South Korea that was founded in 2001 and currently has more than 4,000 branches in South Korea.
— Bernama
