President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen during a ceremony to celebrate the Danish company's investment in Korea at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

DAVOS ― President Yoon Suk Yeol has been striving to attract foreign companies' investments and partnerships with Korean companies during his attendance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, calling himself Korea's "No. 1 salesperson."

"I am the No. 1 salesman of Korea, and as a salesperson, I hosted today's luncheon in order to offer a good meal to global CEOs," Yoon said during a luncheon with top government officials from Seoul, CEOs of global companies and Korean conglomerate heads on the sidelines of the forum, Wednesday (local time).

The luncheon was held as part of Yoon's belief that Korea can find a breakthrough in the current economic headwinds by focusing on exports and foreign companies' investments in Korea. It was a rare case of not only the heads of Korean conglomerates but also CEOs of some of the world's leading companies joining and discussing cooperation.

This is not the first time that Yoon has described himself as a salesman for Korea. During a separate dinner with Korean CEOs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, Yoon said, "Public officials should always have the mindset of providing service to businesses," and, "I also consider myself as a staff member in the marketing or planning department of a company."

This approach by the president drew favorable responses. According to the presidential office, participants in Wednesday's luncheon had conversations in a casual atmosphere, while sharing their experience of running businesses in Korea or partnering with Korean companies, as well as exchanging ideas on combating common crises that the world is facing.

"I believe Korea is one of the most business-friendly countries in the world," Blackstone Chairman Stephen Schwarzman was quoted by senior presidential secretary for public relations Kim Eun-hye. "President Yoon is a great salesman whose salesmanship outshines ours."

Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon said Korean companies have shown true innovation during the over 30 years of Qualcomm operating in Korea, and he wants to "cooperate with Korea for the next 30 years as a long-term partner," citing Korea's resilient and solid supply chain.