Murphy headed to Japan, South Korea in October

Gov. Phil Murphy will visit Japan and South Korea in October as part of a nine-day economic mission to East Asia.

Murphy will be gone from October 14 through October 22, putting the titular leader of the state Democratic Party – and the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association – thirteen time zones away from New Jersey in the weeks leading up to his own mid-term elections.

“Japan and South Korea have long been some of New Jersey’s most vital economic, academic, and cultural partners,” Murphy said. “I look forward to leading a large New Jersey delegation to these vital trading partners this fall to reaffirm our longstanding ties and make the case for New Jersey as the best place to expand and grow a business.”

Murphy will become the first New Jersey governor to visit Korea; Gov. Thomas Kean led a trade mission to Japan in 1987.

A statement released by the governor’s office says that the multi-country trip will include Japan and South Korea; it’s not immediately clear if additional stops will be announced later.

Relationships between New Jersey and Japan and South Korea produce more than $13 billion in shared economic activity, according to the Office of the Governor.

New Jersey has an attractive value proposition for East Asian companies looking to expand or relocate to the United States,” said Tom Bracken, CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.  “Our state’s strategic location, robust infrastructure, and skilled workforce make it the ideal place to do business.”

Choose New Jersey is organizing the trip and will include a delegation of roughly three dozen business leaders, representatives of universities, and elected officials

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver will serve as acting governor during Murphy’s absence.

Murphy has completed trade missions to Ireland, Israel, and India.  He’s also visited Ukraine and Germany, where he served as the U.S. Ambassador during the Obama administration.