Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Gwangju Future Mobility MINI Alliance Roundtable

Minister JK Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the Gwangju Future Mobility MINI Alliance Roundtable at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju on June 30, 2026. The roundtable was attended by Lee Cheon-hwan, Chair of the Gwangju Future Mobility MINI Alliance; local governments; automakers; suppliers; AI companies; universities; and research institutes. Participants discussed plans to develop an M.AX cluster to strengthen future mobility competitiveness. Minister Kim said M.AX has become essential to industrial survival as AI reshapes industry, and that competitiveness in the automobile industry depends on innovation across the value chain.   date2026-07-01

Gwangju to Lead Future Mobility M.AX by Bringing Automotive Manufacturing and AI Together

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) hosted a Gwangju Future Mobility MINI Alliance roundtable in Gwangju on June 30, 2026. The meeting brought together automakers, suppliers, AI companies, universities, research institutes, and local governments to discuss how to develop a Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) cluster and strengthen future mobility competitiveness. The automobile industry has evolved beyond traditional manufacturing into a key advanced convergence industry, as AI, semiconductors, software, and data reshape its structure. It also remains a core regional industry that supports production, business competitiveness, and job creation, making it a key driver of regional growth under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) strategy. Gwangju has an automotive production base that brings together automakers and suppliers across the value chain. Its Cheomdan District 3 is also developing into an AI-centered industrial convergence cluster. Together, these strengths give Gwangju significant growth potential as a hub for M.AX in industrial complexes. During the roundtable, speakers presented the Gwangju MINI Alliance’s plan to develop an M.AX cluster based on the region’s strengths. The plan centers on building a Future Mobility M.AX Cluster that would advance M.AX across the automotive value chain and lead the future vehicle industry ecosystem. It also calls for developing and testing AX models for specific processes, including vision inspection, predictive maintenance, and automated logistics, at pilot factories such as Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) and Alps Electric Korea, before rolling them out across local industrial complexes. The discussion highlighted Gwangju’s distinct position as a region where automotive production sites and an AI industrial base are in proximity. Participants discussed using process, quality, and logistics data from Gwangju’s industrial complexes to develop AI models, then redeploying them on site to generate new manufacturing data, creating a virtuous cycle that supports process innovation. Manufacturers need infrastructure that can store and use manufacturing data to link data and AI models reliably. A data center is being built in Cheomdan District 3 of Gwangju Innopolis, funded by the Industrial Complex Environment Improvement Fund. MOTIR will use the center to support manufacturers’ adoption of M.AX and develop it into core infrastructure for regional manufacturing innovation. It will also strengthen domestic capabilities to produce AI infrastructure equipment, helping to build an M.AX ecosystem where manufacturing innovation goes hand in hand with growth in the AI infrastructure industry. Participants agreed to operate a governance framework that keeps manufacturers, AI companies, universities, and research institutes working together to develop an M.AX cluster centered on the Gwangju MINI Alliance. Building on this framework, they will expand M.AX across the automotive industry’s value chain. To ensure that M.AX takes hold in practice at industrial sites, the initiative will pair tailored AX support for resident companies with on-site workforce training. The results from Gwangju will be shared with other industrial complexes and the broader automobile industry, and developed into a region-led model for manufacturing innovation. “In this new age of AI, M.AX has become essential for industrial survival. In the automobile industry, competitiveness depends on innovation across the value chain,” Minister JK Kim said. “If scaled beyond Gwangju, the successful model built on the city’s automotive ecosystem and AI infrastructure could serve as an important model for manufacturing innovation and help drive regional growth under the 5+3 strategy.” date2026-06-30

Public-Private Strategy Meeting Discusses Industrial and Resource Security in Wake of Middle East Conflict

The government, industry, and experts will mobilize national capabilities to address Korea’s energy and resource supply vulnerabilities stemming from the Middle East conflict and strengthen industrial and resource supply chains across the full value chain, from critical minerals to materials and parts. Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) held the first Industrial and Resource Security Strategy Meeting at Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) in Seoul on June 25, 2026, with experts and industry representatives to discuss future policy directions. The Middle East conflict, which has continued for more than 110 days, has underscored the limits of relying on the government or industry alone to manage resource security crises in Korea, a resource-poor, export-driven economy. It also showed the need to move beyond one-off crisis responses and rebuild supply chains to withstand future disruptions. The Strategy Meeting was launched as a public-private forum to reform Korea’s industrial and resource security system and strengthen crisis response. Members of the Resource Security Advisory Group also participated in the meeting to help gather views from a broad range of fields. The group includes experts in resource economics and security, international politics and trade, law and accounting, and market analysis, as well as representatives from associations and organizations for major resources. At the meeting, MOTIR outlined how it will prepare the master plan for resource security and a plan for stockpiling critical minerals under the Special Act on National Resource Security, and received input from participating experts. Experts at the meeting said the Middle East conflict brought into clearer focus that resources, as raw materials for industry, underpin Korea’s manufacturing sector and national economy. They also agreed that self-reliance in Korea’s industrial and resource supply chains depends not simply on securing resources, but on the ability to control supply chain bottlenecks. To reduce risks from Korea’s heavy reliance on resource imports, the experts recommended diversifying supply sources and procurement methods and expanding stockpiling capacity to improve crisis resilience. They also emphasized the need to manage the full supply chain, from upstream to downstream, and said Korea should mobilize all available policy tools at the national level to secure upstream supply. Participants also agreed that Korea needs to build governance, foster a skilled workforce, and develop and protect key technologies to pursue resource security over the long term. Minister Kim said, “Global supply chains are shifting from a Just-in-Time system to a Just-in-Case system that prepares for contingencies. Resource security is a national task that requires careful, long-term preparation.” He asked experts to continue sharing their insights so that the government and the private sector can work together with a shared sense of responsibility and establish a resource security system that can withstand any circumstances. MOTIR has been preparing the master plan for resource security under the procedures set out in the Special Act on National Resource Security. In 2025, the ministry conducted a resource security diagnosis and assessment covering major core resources. Since April 2026, it has also worked with a group of about 30 researchers, experts, and officials from relevant public institutions to identify areas for supply chain improvement and medium- to long-term policy tasks raised by the Middle East conflict and other developments. MOTIR will give due consideration to the recommendations raised at the Strategy Meeting and incorporate relevant points into the master plan for resource security. The ministry will finalize the plan, which will serve as a medium- to long-term roadmap for resource security, in July 2026 af date2026-06-25

First Industrial and Resource Security Strategy Meeting

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired the first Industrial and Resource Security Strategy Meeting at Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) in Seoul on June 25, 2026. The meeting brought together Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak, industrial and resource security experts, and industry representatives to discuss future policy directions.  Minister Kim said, “Resource security is a national task that requires careful, long-term preparation. The government and the private sector must work together with a shared sense of responsibility to build a resource security system that can withstand any circumstances.” date2026-06-25

Daebul, Myeongji Noksan, and Gunsan Industrial Complex MINI Alliance Meeting

Minister JK Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired a MINI Alliance meeting for the Daebul, Myeongji Noksan, and Gunsan industrial complexes in Mokpo on June 22, 2026. Participants included Cho Doo-yun, Chair of the Daebul MINI Alliance; Kang Dong-hyuk, Chair of the Busan MINI Alliance; Jang Young-jae, Chair of the Gunsan MINI Alliance; Park Min-won, Head of the Industrial Complex AX Division; and representatives from manufacturing companies, AI companies, universities, research institutes, and local governments. At the meeting, Minister Kim delivered opening remarks and discussed the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) strategy for shipbuilding and ways to strengthen cooperation among the industrial complexes. date2026-06-23

Minister Kim Visits M.AX Caravan

Minister JK Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited the Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) Caravan in Mokpo on June 22, 2026. The caravan was held as a side event following a MINI Alliance meeting. At the site, Minister Kim reviewed cooperation between AI solution providers and manufacturing companies and listened to industry views and on-the-ground challenges. date2026-06-23

M.AX to Expand Beyond the Factory Floor and Support Company-wide Innovation

Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) will use data linkage to expand AI use beyond manufacturing processes to company-wide operations, including production planning, supply chain and inventory management, and worker safety. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held a joint launch ceremony for the Industrial AI Solution and AI Agent projects in Seoul on June 23, 2026. The event brought together approximately 100 participants, including representatives from the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), manufacturing companies, and AI companies. Background As global competition over AI intensifies, major economies are accelerating efforts to develop AI technologies and deploy them in industrial settings. In manufacturing, AI adoption can directly raise productivity and competitiveness, and AI use is expanding beyond the factory floor to broader business operations. Korea is home to world-class manufacturers and has built up extensive factory-floor data and skilled workers’ know-how. These assets are critical to maintaining and strengthening Korea’s manufacturing competitiveness in the AI era and provide the basis for rapidly deploying AI across industrial sites. Launched in September 2025 with 10 divisions and approximately 1,000 participating organizations, the M.AX Alliance added the Industrial Complex AX Division in February 2026, forming its “Best Eleven” structure with 11 divisions and approximately 1,500 member organizations. Building on this cooperation, MOTIR plans to expand AI application beyond manufacturing sites to company-wide operations. Project Overview The Industrial AI Solution Project is designed to rapidly deploy AI across industrial sites by fine-tuning AI companies’ verified models for immediate use in multiple similar manufacturing processes. Projects involving approximately 30 manufacturing companies have confirmed tangible results, including more accurate steel scrap classification and improved heat exchanger quality prediction. In 2026, the project, with a budget of KRW 12.8 billion, will support approximately 30 manufacturing companies in developing early M.AX success cases and facilitate broader adoption across the industry. While AI adoption in manufacturing has improved productivity in individual processes, some have noted that its impact on overall business competitiveness remains limited. In a February 2026 demand survey, companies said AI agents should be used not only in manufacturing processes but also in decision-making areas such as production planning, business planning, marketing, and delivery management. For manufacturers, applying AI agents accurately to their specific operations requires manufacturing process data to be closely connected with decision-making. To address this need, MOTIR will launch the new AI Agent Project, which uses manufacturing data to support company-wide operations. The project will develop and demonstrate AI agents in seven upstream and downstream areas linked to manufacturing processes, including production planning, supply chain management, safety and environmental management, and product design, to support decision-making across factory-floor and office functions. The call for proposals drew interest from more than 90 companies, and MOTIR selected 10 with strong proposals, including Sungwoo Hitech and Daeduck Electronics. With a 2026 budget of KRW 6.0 billion, MOTIR will work with the Manufacturing Services Division of the M.AX Alliance to demonstrate AI agents on-site and scale the results. Data Linkage Expanding AI use beyond manufacturing processes requires manufacturing data to be connected and used across related upstream and downstream areas. The Industrial AI Solution and AI Agent projects share a common feature: both use AI to solve a range of problems at manufacturing sites. As the projects proceed, lead organizations will date2026-06-23

M.AX to Link Shipbuilding Industrial Complexes as Key Hubs for 5+3 Regional Growth

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held a joint meeting of the MINI Alliances from three shipbuilding industrial complexes—Daebul, Myeongji Noksan, and Gunsan—on June 22, 2026, at Hotel Hyundai in Mokpo. The meeting brought together manufacturers, AI companies, universities, research institutes, and local governments to discuss the M.AX strategy for shipbuilding and cooperation among the three complexes. Shipbuilding relies on a broad supply chain that connects large, medium-sized, and small shipbuilders with equipment suppliers and partner companies. This makes it a key industry for supporting regional growth under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) strategy. In particular, the three complexes taking part in the meeting each handle key functions of the shipbuilding supply chain, making them a strong model for creating synergy through cooperation across the 5+3 regions. The Daebul Industrial Complex is a major shipbuilding and offshore cluster where large shipyards and partner SMEs are concentrated, while the Gunsan Industrial Complex is home to marine mobility manufacturers that mainly build medium-sized and small vessels. The Myeongji Noksan Industrial Complex is Korea’s largest shipbuilding equipment cluster, with about 60 percent of the country’s shipbuilding equipment companies. The meeting was significant in that it expanded industrial complex M.AX discussions from individual complexes to the wider shipbuilding supply chain. There has been growing recognition in the field that, to accelerate the spread of industrial-complex AX, linkages among the same industry are needed beyond the boundaries of individual complexes and regions. Reflecting these voices from the field, MOTIR used the meeting to discuss concrete cooperation measures to connect the strengths of the anchor complexes for large shipbuilding, medium-sized and small shipbuilding, and shipbuilding equipment, and to spread the shipbuilding M.AX model across the supply chain. The discussions also explored ways for complex AX—built on an ecosystem clustering industry, academia, and research—to drive productivity gains and corporate growth in regional manufacturing, and ultimately to serve as a practical means of implementing the 5+3 strategy. The three MINI Alliances agreed that the complexes should move beyond separate projects and build a shared framework that uses data, knowledge, and AI models to support decisions across design, production, and quality control. During the meeting, each complex also presented its cooperation plan to link M.AX with the shipbuilding industry. Daebul proposed building common infrastructure to use manufacturing data and AI models on-site. Myeongji Noksan presented plans to develop an AI search engine tailored to shipbuilding and expand its use across design, manufacturing, and management. Gunsan outlined plans to develop AI models for design simulation and manufacturing quality control. Participants called for government support, noting that high-quality shipbuilding data and common infrastructure for collecting, transmitting, and processing data are essential to improve AI models and expand their use. After the meeting, Minister Kim also visited the M.AX Caravan to see how AI suppliers and manufacturers are working together and to hear industry views and concerns. The Caravan is an on-site program that connects manufacturers seeking AI transformation with AI solution providers. It was designed to help manufacturers overcome information gaps and technical barriers in adopting AI, and to bring AI supplier capabilities, which are still concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, to regional industrial complexes. At the M.AX Caravan, 14 AI suppliers presented their solutions, and around 50 representatives from manufacturing companies attended, leading to active matching between the two sides throughout the eve date2026-06-22

MOTIR Shapes Blueprint for 5+3 Regional Growth Engines

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Growth Engine Strategy Forum for the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) framework on June 10, 2026, at the Artificial Intelligence Industry Cluster Agency (AICA) in Gwangju. Chaired by Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak, the forum brought together about 100 regional industry stakeholders from Gwangju and Jeonnam, including local government officials and representatives of anchor companies and regional innovation institutions. The forum gathered views on industries proposed by local governments in each region as regional growth engines under the framework. Participants discussed each region’s industrial conditions and growth potential and explored development approaches tailored to regional strengths. Beginning with the forum for the Southwest region, MOTIR plans to hold similar forums across all regions covered by the framework, excluding the Seoul metropolitan area. Under the framework, the regional growth engine initiative positions each growth engine as a core industry for its region and supports balanced national growth through a more polycentric industrial structure. MOTIR plans to work closely with local governments to facilitate large-scale investment by anchor companies. The government also plans to draw on policy tools across ministries and provide substantial incentives for major regional investment projects through a seven-part support package covering fiscal support, financing, workforce development, infrastructure, and regulatory exemptions. At the forum, experts from the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET) presented an analysis of the industries that local governments submitted as candidate growth engines. Participants examined each industry in detail, including regional industrial conditions, corporate investment plans, future growth potential, and alignment with Korea’s national industrial strategy. The Gwangju Institute also presented its assessment of the Southwest region’s industrial landscape and development priorities, followed by a discussion on industrial development priorities for Gwangju and Jeonnam from a regional expert perspective. In a panel discussion moderated by Professor Na Ju-mong, President of the Korean Association of Regional Policy (KARP), panelists from anchor companies, local governments, and regional innovation institutions discussed proposals for developing Gwangju and Jeonnam’s growth engine industries. Kim Hee-sam, Vice President at Kia Corporation, said, “Kia plans to continue investing in its Gwangju Plant as part of the regional growth engine initiative. Policy and financial support from the government will be needed to strengthen the automotive industry ecosystem in the Southwest region.” Kim Young-moon, Gwangju’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and Economy, said, “Gwangju will continue strengthening communication and cooperation between the central and local governments to support the success of these growth engines.” In his opening remarks, Vice Minister Moon said, “This forum will mark the first step in reshaping the geography of Korea’s industrial growth around a polycentric structure built on the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces.” He added, “MOTIR will identify and develop high-potential growth engines that build on each region’s strengths. We will use every available policy tool to help each region build a self-sustaining, competitive industrial ecosystem.” After consulting regions under the framework, MOTIR plans to select growth engines for each region and announce a seven-part policy support package to develop them into globally competitive industries. The package will cover fiscal support, tax incentives, financing, workforce development, technology support, infrastructure, and regulatory exemptions. date2026-06-10

Growth Engine Strategy Forum for Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces

Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the Growth Engine Strategy Forum for the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces on June 10, 2026, at the Artificial Intelligence Industry Cluster Agency (AICA) in Gwangju. The forum brought together about 100 regional industry stakeholders from Gwangju and Jeonnam, including representatives from the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), local governments, regional anchor companies, and regional innovation institutions. Participants gathered views on regional growth engines and discussed development approaches tailored to each region’s strengths. Vice Minister Moon said MOTIR will identify and develop high-potential growth engines that build on each region’s strengths and use all available policy tools to help each region build a self-sustaining, competitive industrial ecosystem. date2026-06-10