South Korean biopharmaceutical firms are facing a harsher climate and an uphill battle both domestically and abroad, amid the larger economic downturn that has slowed everything from new drug approval to dealmaking. At the Global Pharma Key Opinion Leaders (GPKOL) 2023 Symposium held at the El Tower on Sept. 7 in Seocho-gu, Seoul, officials from the industry, government and academia gathered to discuss strategies on bouncing back from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.