Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, was awarded the Sungrye Medal by the government of the Republic of Korea on May 20, 2005. This is the highest award for diplomatic service merit bestowed by Korea on industry representatives.
The award ceremony in Berlin took place in the presence of Kwon Youngmin, the Korean ambassador to Germany; Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, BASF board member responsible for the Asia region; and Chong-Kwang Kim, Chairman of BASF Company Ltd in South Korea.
The award was given in recognition of BASF’s long-term presence in Korea, which began with the opening of a sales office in Seoul in 1954, as well as Hambrecht’s personal contribution towards strengthening commercial ties between the two countries. Between 1995 and 1999, Hambrecht was initially president of BASF’s East Asia division and subsequently board member responsible for the Asia Pacific region.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this award. Korea plays an important and successful role in our strategy of expanding our operations in the Asia Pacific region,” said Hambrecht. “Thanks to our continued investment in Korea, even during the economic crisis in the late 1990s, we have built up a strong position in this key market.”
BASF currently operates production facilities at six sites in Korea in Yeosu, Ulsan, Gunsan and Ansan. It has a workforce of more than 1,100 employees, and posted sales of €1.1 billion in 2004.
