Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

MOTIR to Foster Anchor Mid-Sized Enterprises with Proprietary Technologies

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held a meeting with representatives of mid-sized enterprises at HANA Micron, a mid-sized enterprise specializing in semiconductor back-end processing, in Asan on October 1, 2026. At the meeting, Minister Kim announced the Third Basic Plan for Promoting the Growth of Mid-Sized Enterprises (2026–2030).   The event was organized to present the government’s future policy direction for mid-sized enterprises at an industrial site, with the aim of helping them grow into key players in reinvigorating the Korean economy and leading its industrial ecosystem.   The Special Act on the Promotion of Growth and the Strengthening of Competitiveness of Middle-Standing Enterprises was enacted in 2014 as temporary legislation and made permanent in 2023, and has since supported the development of mid-sized enterprises. Under the Act, the government has set the overall direction and strategies for mid-sized enterprise policy through two previous basic plans and is now announcing the third.   Mid-sized enterprises account for just 1.5 percent of all companies in Korea, but account for 15 percent of production, 18 percent of exports and 14 percent of employment. They form the backbone of the Korean economy and serve as its “Middle Power,” linking large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In particular, 85 percent of mid-sized manufacturers are materials, parts and equipment (MPE) companies, supporting Korea’s industrial ecosystem and supply chains.   However, the number of companies growing from SMEs into mid-sized enterprises has recently declined, while more mid-sized enterprises are reverting to SME status. Structural barriers also persist: companies lose support and benefits as they grow from SMEs into mid-sized enterprises, resulting in a “support cliff,” while mid-sized enterprises face more regulation as they grow into large enterprises, resulting in a “growth hurdle.”   Third Basic Plan for Promoting the Growth of Mid-Sized Enterprises   With these challenges in mind, the government plans to pursue four strategies under the vision of “The Middle Power of the Korean Economy at the Center of Dynamic Growth.”   (1) Strengthen Core Capabilities: KRW 1 Trillion Deca-core Project to Help Mid-sized Enterprises Grow into Global Super Suppliers   MOTIR plans to foster “anchor mid-sized enterprises” that own proprietary technologies and intellectual property (IP). To this end, it will launch the Deca-core Project, a KRW 1 trillion initiative running from 2027 through 2035. Under the project, mid-sized enterprises will work with universities, research institutes and other partners to secure 10 technologies with a substantial competitive edge at the system level, moving beyond individual materials and parts.   A planning committee comprising industry representatives and technology and supply chain experts will be formed by the end of this year to identify candidate projects. Support will cover technology development across the core materials, parts, equipment, processes and finished products that make up each system, and extend to commercialization and overseas expansion, including patents, standards, market access and certification.   MOTIR also plans to support the independent development of items that mid-sized enterprises need in their operations and that are either subject to supply-chain bottlenecks or heavily dependent on overseas sources. It will identify candidate items based on trade data and industry demand surveys, and support companies in developing core technologies and having their technologies incorporated into global customers’ specifications.   (2) Strengthen the Growth Ladder: Rejuvenate Growth from SMEs to Mid-sized and Large Enterprises & date2026-10-01

Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) CEO Hackathon

Minister JK Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) CEO Hackathon in Sejong on September 21, 2026. Around 100 participants attended, including CEOs of manufacturers in regional industrial complexes and representatives from AI companies and related organizations. The event was designed for CEOs to identify which problems in their factories should be addressed first with AI and work with AI companies and experts to develop practical AX projects. Ahead of the hackathon, Minister Kim delivered a keynote address on the role of CEOs in the AI era. The 10 teams, comprising manufacturing companies serving as mentors and mentees and AI companies, presented solutions for using AI to address company-specific problems. Five teams received awards from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources: one top prize, two Excellence Awards and two Encouragement Awards. Minister Kim stressed that AI transformation goes beyond adopting technology and requires companies to redesign how they work. He also emphasized that CEOs need to take the lead in setting company-wide priorities and turning AI into action. date2026-09-23

“What Should We Change First with AI in Our Factory?” CEOs Lead M.AX on the Factory Floor

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) CEO Hackathon in Sejong on September 21, 2026, bringing together around 100 participants from manufacturing and AI companies and related organizations. Participants included around 50 CEOs from regional industrial complexes; AI companies; MINI Alliance members; and representatives from the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) and the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT). The event was designed for CEOs of manufacturers in regional industrial complexes to identify the most urgent problems in their own factories and work with AI companies and experts to turn them into deployable AI transformation (AX) projects. For manufacturers, AX goes beyond simply introducing AI solutions. It starts with deciding which on-site problems—such as equipment failures or shortages of skilled workers—to address first and where to concentrate personnel and investment. MOTIR organized the hackathon in recognition that CEO-level decisions and leadership are critical to making those choices and driving organizational change. Ahead of the hackathon, Minister Kim delivered a keynote address on the role of CEOs in the AI era. He stressed that AI transformation goes beyond adopting technology and is a management issue that requires companies to redesign how they work. He explained that it is ultimately the CEO’s role to bring together data scattered across departments, reconcile competing interests, and set company-wide priorities. Minister Kim then proposed the “3As”—Adapt, Adept and Adopt—as three principles to guide CEOs in the AI era. He emphasized that CEOs need to take the lead throughout the process: recognizing how change is unfolding, understanding AI, and putting it into practice. Following the keynote address, leading manufacturers shared their experience implementing AX at manufacturing sites. HD Hyundai Samho presented examples of AX in shipbuilding operations, giving participating CEOs specific ideas that could be applied to their own processes. Ohsung Steel described how it converted equipment operating know-how accumulated by individual skilled workers into data that AI could learn from and used AI simulations to shorten training time for new workers. Participants then split into 10 teams to discuss the challenges their companies face at manufacturing sites and the AX projects they want to develop. Working with AI companies and experts, each team then developed concrete solutions. The teams went beyond proposing ideas and examined which AI technologies to use, which processes to target, the scale of investment, expected benefits, and whether the projects could be linked to follow-up support, including government programs. The key AX projects discussed focused on areas directly tied to manufacturing productivity, including converting skilled workers’ tacit manufacturing know-how into data for AI training; replacing manual visual inspection with AI vision inspection; using predictive maintenance to detect equipment anomalies in advance; and applying physical AI and autonomous manufacturing to industries such as shipbuilding. Team 6, comprising Ohsung Steel, Shinhan Ceramic, TFS, Busung Steel, Daechang, NAVER Cloud, and Dfinite, won the top prize for its proposal to expand AX through general-purpose manufacturing agents in the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex. An Excellence Award went to Team 3, comprising HD Hyundai Samho, JK Heavy Industries, MokwonENG, Taejin, Kosteel, and Geosoft. The team proposed advancing AX in shipbuilding processes in the Daebul Industrial Complex and extending it across the value chain to large, medium-sized, and small companies. Team 8, comprising Dong Myung Industry, LOTTE INEOS Chemical, SUNGIL, DK Materials, Hanjin Chemical, KEMP, Neolab, and PDTech, also received an Exce date2026-09-22

Global Materials, Parts and Equipment Companies Seek Partnership Opportunities in Korea

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) hosted the 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Global Investment Conference (MPE GIC) on September 17, 2026, in Seoul, bringing together around 120 Korean and foreign materials, parts and equipment (MPE) companies in advanced industries such as semiconductors, rechargeable batteries and biohealth. As global supply chains undergo restructuring and competition in advanced technologies intensifies, companies are increasingly seeking partnerships to secure core technologies and create new business opportunities. The conference was organized to meet this growing demand by connecting Korean and foreign MPE companies and identifying new investment opportunities. Participants included MPE companies from the United States, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands that had expressed clear interest in partnering with Korean companies and investing in Korea, as well as Korean MPE companies seeking partnerships with them. The conference introduced Korea’s investment environment and policies to attract foreign investment, while foreign-invested companies Toray, Amkor and Kurita Hansu shared their investment experiences and business results in Korea. In-depth one-on-one consultations were also arranged based on the participating companies’ needs, increasing the likelihood that these exchanges would lead to concrete partnerships and investment. The conference also highlighted the expected growth in demand for MPE and related investment opportunities associated with Korea’s three megaprojects in semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers, as well as the growth engines under the “Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3)” initiative. Along with a presentation on the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, local governments including Gyeonggi-do, Daegu and Jeollabuk-do directly presented their industrial bases and investment conditions, giving foreign companies an opportunity to explore regional investment environments across Korea. “Korea’s industrial ecosystem and the technological capabilities of its MPE companies are key strengths in fostering partnerships with foreign companies and attracting investment from them,” said Kang Gam-chan, Deputy Minister for International Trade and Investment at MOTIR. “We hope this conference will help Korean and foreign companies discuss and develop concrete plans for various forms of cooperation, including technology cooperation and joint ventures. We will continue to enhance foreign investment incentives and actively address regulatory and on-the-ground challenges so that the opportunities for cooperation foreign companies identify in Korea can lead to actual investment.”   Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7TCVFMmN8Qg date2026-09-17

2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Global Investment Conference

Kang Gam-chan, Deputy Minister for International Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), attended the 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Global Investment Conference (MPE GIC) in Seoul on September 17, 2026. The conference brought together representatives from local governments, the Korea Core Industrial Technology Investment Association (KITIA), and Korean and foreign materials, parts and equipment (MPE) companies in advanced industries such as semiconductors, rechargeable batteries and biohealth. The event connected Korean and foreign MPE companies to explore cooperation opportunities, including joint ventures and technology cooperation, and create more opportunities for foreign investment in Korea. “Korea’s industrial ecosystem and the technological capabilities of its MPE companies are key strengths in fostering partnerships with foreign companies and attracting investment from them,” Deputy Minister Kang said. He added that MOTIR will continue to enhance foreign investment incentives and address regulatory and on-the-ground challenges so that cooperation opportunities identified in Korea can lead to actual investment. date2026-09-17

MOTIR Holds 23rd Shipbuilding and Marine Day Ceremony

Vice Minister for Industry Moon Shin-hak attended the 23rd Shipbuilding and Marine Day in Seoul on September 10, 2026. The event brought together around 250 participants, including Lee Sang-kyun, Chairman of the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA); representatives from shipbuilding and marine organizations; and award recipients. Following his remarks, Vice Minister Moon presented government awards and ministerial commendations to 35 recipients for their contributions to advancing the shipbuilding and marine industry.  Vice Minister Moon stressed that K-shipbuilding’s competitiveness lies in the strength of the entire value chain spanning steel, equipment, shipping and finance, and urged industry and government to work as a team and move forward together as members of one K-shipbuilding fleet. date2026-09-10

K-Shipbuilding Advances Together Through Shared Growth

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the 23rd Shipbuilding and Marine Day ceremony in Seoul on September 10, 2026. The event brought together around 250 participants, including Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak of MOTIR; Lee Sang-kyun, Chairman of the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA); and other representatives from the shipbuilding and marine industries. At the ceremony, 35 individuals received government awards and ministerial commendations, including the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, for their contributions to advancing the shipbuilding and marine industry. Notably, Park Tae-soo, CEO of DOOWON HIGHSTEEL, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, becoming the first government award recipient from a shipbuilding equipment company in more than a decade. A financial institution official who has supported the issuance of refund guarantees (RGs) for small and medium-sized shipbuilders also received a Prime Minister’s Commendation. The awards highlighted contributions not only from shipyards but also from across the broader shipbuilding ecosystem that supports them. In his congratulatory remarks, Vice Minister Moon noted K-shipbuilding’s USD 32 billion in exports over the past year—the highest in eight years—its continued global lead in LNG carriers, and MASGA’s move into full-scale implementation, including the opening of the Korea–U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center, and thanked the industry for its role in these achievements. “No ship can be built by a shipyard alone,” Vice Minister Moon said. He stressed that K-shipbuilding’s competitiveness lies in the strength of the entire value chain spanning steel, equipment, shipping and finance, then outlined three policy directions for shared growth across the ecosystem. First, the government will promote shared growth between shipbuilding and its upstream and downstream industries, including steel and shipping. It will take an active role in developing measures for shared growth between the shipbuilding and steel industries. To help equipment suppliers establish the onboard installation track record needed for exports, the government plans to support the installation of Korean equipment on newbuild vessels ordered by Korean shipping companies. Through the Council for Shared Growth in Shipbuilding and Shipping, co-chaired by the ministers of MOTIR and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), the government will also discuss ways to generate orders, including joint orders by Korean shipping companies and priority orders for public vessels. Second, the government will promote shared growth among large shipbuilders, small and medium-sized shipbuilders, and partner companies. It will expand the M.AX Alliance for Autonomous Ships, which has focused on autonomous navigation, to cover shipyard manufacturing sites and reorganize it as the AI Shipbuilding Alliance. The government will also help disseminate technologies proven by large shipbuilders to partner companies and small and medium-sized shipbuilders. To support small and medium-sized shipbuilders as their exports increase, the government plans to work with relevant ministries and financial institutions to facilitate the issuance of RGs for these shipbuilders. Third, the government will promote shared growth in overseas markets. In implementing the MASGA project, it will focus on identifying project opportunities for shipbuilding equipment suppliers and small and medium-sized shipbuilders. The government will also continue to strengthen MRO capabilities among small and medium-sized shipbuilders and support U.S. market entry by equipment suppliers. The Korea–U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center, which opened in Washington, D.C., in late July, will also support small and medium-sized shipbuilders and equipment suppliers in developing sales channels in the U.S. m date2026-09-10

MOTIR Connects Leading Middle Market Enterprises with Young Job Seekers to Support 5+3 Growth Engines

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Middle Market Enterprise Job Fair in Daejeon on September 8, 2026. The fair was organized to foster shared growth in the region by connecting young talent with regional middle market enterprises facing recruitment difficulties. It also aimed to help middle market enterprises grow to play a central role in regional economies and support the development of growth engines under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) initiative. The event drew 66 leading middle market enterprises and prospective middle market enterprises—including YC Corporation and Nepes Ark in semiconductors, Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Huons Group in biopharmaceuticals, and SIMPAC in machinery—and more than 2,000 job seekers. The 12 previous fairs have helped more than 9,000 people find jobs, and this year’s first- and second-half fairs are expected to connect more than 2,000 job seekers with job opportunities. Beginning this year, the government expanded eligibility for the Youth Job Leap Incentive beyond SMEs to include middle market enterprises outside the capital region. The measure is intended to ease workforce shortages at leading middle market enterprises in the regions and encourage young people to find work there. The government is also increasing the number of industrial technical personnel allocated to each middle market enterprise from two to five. Furthermore, it will continue to support middle market enterprises’ recruitment of young people with master’s or doctoral degrees and experienced technical professionals. Lee Gyu-bong, Director General for Middle Market Enterprise Policy at MOTIR, said at the opening ceremony, “Middle market enterprises account for just 1.5 percent of all companies in Korea but 13.9 percent of total employment, while providing quality jobs. In particular, I expect them, as a core force behind the regional growth engines under the 5+3 initiative, to continue driving regional economic growth and job creation.” He added, “MOTIR plans to announce its Middle Market Enterprise Growth Ladder 2030 strategy by the end of the year and put in place a systematic framework to support the growth of middle market enterprises.” date2026-09-08

MOTIR Holds Third KFEZ Day 2026

Lee Min-woo, Acting Deputy Minister for Industry and Growth at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), attended Korean Free Economic Zones (KFEZ) Day 2026 in Seoul on September 2, 2026. The event brought together about 300 participants, including foreign diplomats based in Korea; representatives of foreign chambers of commerce; and executives from foreign-invested and global companies. In his remarks, Acting Deputy Minister Lee highlighted free economic zones as key hubs that put national growth strategies into practice and connect investment in advanced industries with regional growth. “Together with local governments, we will step up efforts to attract investment and support businesses so global companies can invest and grow with confidence,” Lee said. date2026-09-04

Korean Free Economic Zones to Become Hubs for Balanced National Growth

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) hosted Korean Free Economic Zones (KFEZ) Day 2026 in Seoul on September 2, 2026. The event brought together about 300 participants, including foreign diplomats based in Korea; representatives of foreign chambers of commerce; and executives from foreign-invested and global companies. The event introduced Korea’s foreign investment policies and highlighted the country’s strategic value as a global hub for advanced industries and its appeal to investors. It also emphasized KFEZs’ roles as key hubs and the investment incentives they offer. Companies that have successfully invested in the zones also shared their experiences, showcasing the investment value of KFEZs from multiple perspectives. Since Incheon was designated Korea’s first free economic zone in March 2003, KFEZs have expanded over the past two decades to nine zones comprising 101 districts. About 8,500 companies now operate in the zones and have created some 250,000 jobs. KFEZs have strengthened Korea’s industrial competitiveness and become key hubs for attracting global investment. Going forward, KFEZs will align their plans with national growth strategies, including the Three Megaprojects, as well as regional growth engines under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) initiative. Under this approach, the zones will attract advanced strategic industries suited to each region and large-scale corporate investment to build regional industrial ecosystems and create jobs.  “Free economic zones are key hubs that put national growth strategies into practice on the ground and connect investment in advanced industries with regional growth,” said Lee Min-woo, Acting Deputy Minister for Industry and Growth at MOTIR. “Together with local governments, we will step up efforts to attract investment and support businesses, creating the best possible environment for global companies to invest and grow with confidence.” date2026-09-02