IBM Software Symposium 2006 IBM Korea held the IBM Software Symposium 2006 on April 26 at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul. The company announced through this function five innovation strategies by brands such as Innovation based on SOA (WebSphere), Innovation to enhance information's business value (Information Management), Innovation for the sake of infra management (Tivoli), workplace's innovation (Lotus), and software development's innovation (Rational). IBM Korea asserted through this Symposium that it is important to secure competitiveness that can progress in a rapidly changing environment through business insight and technology's integration. R&D Investment Forum Sponsored by Invest Korea R&D Investment Forum to share government's policies & R&D opportunities was held on April 20 at the Ritz Carlton Seoul under the auspices of Invest Korea. This Forum's programs included internationalizing science & technology, today and tomorrow, policy on R&D foreign direct investment, policy on attracting IT R&D, policy on attracting health & medical R&D, and success case study etc. Director General Kang Dai-young, ICT Cooperation Bureau, MIC, said: "Matching fund to R&D activities is to support R&D activities through negotiation by offering matching fund to a foreign R&D Center that conducts research on strategic technologies specified in IT839". South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day in Seoul The South Africa Freedom Day function in Seoul was held on April 29, 2006 at the Hotel Shilla outdoor garden with a form of an outdoor barbeque. Amb. & Mrs. Styfanus Johannes Schoeman welcomed invited guests at the entrance of the Hotel's Emerald room and Amb. Schoeman proposed a toast to wish friendship and coprosperity between the two countries through his welcoming speech. Since 1994, South Africans have been celebrating the long march from darkness and despair to hope for a bright future. A Pilgrimage of Canadian Veterans of the Korean War To honor Canadian veterans of the Korean War, Amb. Marius Grinius of the Canadian Embassy held a dinner banquet on April 21 at the Seoul Plaza in concert with the Korea-Canada Society. A pilgrimage of Canadian veterans of the Korean War took place from Monday, April 17 to Sunday, April 23. Organized by the Korean Veterans Association and Government of Canada, this special visit was designed to honour the tens of thousands of Canadians who served the pursuit of peace on the Korean peninsula. LES International Seoul Conference wrapped up successfully LES (Licensing Executives Society: www.lesi.org) International Seoul Conference was wrapped up successfully. LESI is a premier global business associated whose individual members worldwide are actively involved in business activities concerned with the licensing, transfer and management of intellectual property rights. ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress & 32nd ITA General Assembly ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress & 32nd ITA General Assembly was held with a theme, called "Safety in the Underground Space" from April 22 through April 27, 2006 at COEX, Seoul, Korea. This Congress provided an open forum for exchanging new information and ideas related to tunneling industry, Dr. Hong Sun-Wan, president of Korean Tunneling Association assessed about the results of this Conference. World Small Business Conference & WASME 17th International Conference for SME's World Small Business Conference & WASME 17th International Conference for SMEs took place at COEX Convention & Exhibition Center, Seoul Korea. This conference will be a great opportunity for Korean executives from small & medium enterprises and small business association to proceed into the world market. Moreover, it will be an opportunity to provide self-confidence and revitalize the members of the small and medium enterprises involved in the globalization of the Korean economic market within the developing international economic market, said Chyung Dai-chul, chairman, WASME International Conference Organizing Committee Closer economic partnership between New Zealand and Korea The Honorable Dame Silvia Cartwright PCNZM, DBE, Governor- General of New Zealand visited Seoul with her delegation with a view to forging a closer economic partnership. Through a speech at the Business Associations Lunch held on April 21 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, she stressed: "New Zealand and Korea are natural trading partners, being fortunate enough to have complementary economies. New Zealand provides Korean business and consumers with high quality primary and intermediate goods like wood, aluminum, hides and skins, and safe food like beef and kiwifruit grown in a clean and natural environment".