Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

MOTIR Reviews Technology and Infrastructure Roadmap for Next-Generation Power Semiconductor Industry

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Next-Generation Power Semiconductor Forum at EL Tower on April 23, 2026, with officials from relevant ministries and experts from industry, academia and research institutes. At the forum, MOTIR presented progress on the Roadmap for Developing the Next-Generation Power Semiconductor Industry, a key implementation task under the Semiconductor Industry Strategy for the AI Era announced in December 2025. The roadmap has been under development for about four months since the task force was launched. The forum also brought together anchor companies and experts to discuss future directions for large-scale R&D projects and plans for a power semiconductor innovation belt in Korea’s southern region. The roadmap sets out a medium- to long-term blueprint for securing core technologies and stabilizing supply chains in the power semiconductor industry. It covers next-generation technology development, demonstration and mass-production infrastructure, and workforce training. Moving beyond fragmented support, MOTIR is planning large-scale R&D projects that will connect demand companies in electric vehicles, defense, power grids and data centers across the full value chain, from materials, devices and modules to system-level demonstration. MOTIR will also build power semiconductor infrastructure around key regional hubs. It will upgrade the public fab at the specialized power semiconductor complex in Busan and help private companies use demonstration data from public facilities in Pohang and Naju for product mass production. Furthermore, the ministry will link regional hub universities and use local demonstration facilities for hands-on training, helping train key talent for the power semiconductor innovation belt in Korea’s southern region and support growth in both the region and the industry. Choi Woo-hyuk, Director General for High Technology Industry at MOTIR, said, “As the restructuring of global power semiconductor supply chains accelerates, MOTIR will give priority to compound semiconductors as a key development area. Together with relevant ministries, we will build an ecosystem for the power semiconductor industry, centered on the power semiconductor innovation belt in Korea’s southern region.” date2026-04-23

Government and Major Companies Launch K-New Deal Academy to Help Young Jobseekers Take the Next Step

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL, Minister Kim Young-hoon), and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET, President Ko Hye-won), the program’s coordinating institution, will accept applications from Wednesday, April 22 to Friday, May 22, 2026, for operations support centers and participating companies for the K-New Deal Academy. The K-New Deal Academy, introduced through the supplementary budget, is designed to help young jobseekers rebuild confidence, strengthen their skills, and enter the labor market. Under the program, major companies and other employers favored by young jobseekers will design and offer company-specific vocational training and other programs. Participating companies must be large corporations or other leading companies in their industries or regions, with competitiveness, recognition, and the capacity to run programs for young jobseekers. Companies may apply on their own or as part of a consortium. They may structure academy programs around their strengths and may offer, in addition to job training, other programs that would benefit young jobseekers. In reviewing proposals, the government will place particular weight on whether the programs are built around company-specific courses that reflect each company’s job capabilities, infrastructure, and organizational culture. The government will fund academy operating costs and provide allowances to participating young jobseekers. It also plans to provide additional support for academies open in non-metropolitan areas to encourage more young jobseekers outside the capital region to take part. Operations support centers will assist companies in running the academies and promoting the program. Eligible organizations must have the capacity to manage government-funded projects, as well as sufficient understanding and experience in vocational skills development programs. Applicants seeking to serve as operations support centers must recruit participating companies in advance and apply jointly with them. Companies seeking to run an academy must submit an academy operating plan. Organizations or institutions seeking to serve as operations support centers must submit an application for designation, together with the program operating plans of the companies wishing to participate, by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, by email to KRIVET at kndacademy@krivet.re.kr. An information session on the program will be held in Seoul on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The public notice and detailed materials for the session are available on the websites of MOEL (http://www.moel.go.kr) and KRIVET (http://www.krivet.re.kr). Lee Min-woo, Director General for Industrial Policy at MOTIR, said, “Through the K-New Deal Academy, young jobseekers will be able to build experience for future careers without losing momentum, while companies will also be able to strengthen the job skills of their prospective talent pool. We hope companies will take an active part in helping create a virtuous cycle in which industry and talent grow together.” Pyeon Do-in, Director General for Vocational Skills Policy at MOEL, said, “The K-New Deal Academy is a meaningful opportunity to put the know-how and infrastructure of major companies directly to work in helping young people build their capabilities. We hope many large companies will take part with a sense of social responsibility and help young people build their futures.” date2026-04-21

MOTIR Holds the Industrial Complex Policy Hackathon

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the Industrial Complex Policy Hackathon in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do, on April 18, 2026.  Attendees included Lee Sang-hoon, chairman of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX), Kang Yoon-joo, president of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), and other participants and officials. After delivering opening remarks, Minister Kim presented the MOTIR Minister’s Award to “Bungeoppang,” the team that won the top prize. He said, “We will build M.AX ecosystems in key industrial complexes across the five mega-regions and three special self-governing provinces so that they fully serve as Korea’s growth engines, and the benefits of AI transformation reach industries across the regions.” date2026-04-20

First Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee Meeting

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired the first meeting of the Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on April 17, 2026.  Attendees included Park Min-won, president of Changwon National University and chair of the Subcommittee; Lee Sang-hoon, chairman of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX); and other Subcommittee members. Minister Kim said, “We will build M.AX ecosystems in key industrial complexes across the five mega-regions and three special self-governing provinces so that they fully serve as Korea’s growth engines, and the benefits of AI transformation reach industries across the regions.” date2026-04-17

Roundtable with Battery and Display Companies

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired a roundtable with battery and display companies and related industry associations in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on April 17, 2026. Representatives from SK On, Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution, Samsung Display, WONIK IPS, Dongjin Semichem, the Korea Battery Industry Association (KBIA) and the Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) attended the meeting.  After delivering opening remarks, Minister Kim heard about the current state of the region’s battery and display ecosystem and discussed difficulties facing the industry. He said, “Batteries and displays are foundational industries for mobility, energy storage systems (ESS), robotics, and many other sectors. The government will strengthen the industrial ecosystem and expand M.AX to secure a clear edge in global competition.” date2026-04-17

Minister Kim Visits Central Region to Discuss Advanced Industries and Region-Led M.AX

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited the central region of Korea on April 17, 2026, as part of the ministry’s on-site outreach under the “Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces” initiative. The visit was held despite ongoing emergency economic response efforts linked to the war in the Middle East, underscoring MOTIR’s commitment to region-led growth through regular communication with local stakeholders. The visit focused on ways to strengthen the secondary battery and display industries clustered in the central region and to step up region-led Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) through industrial complexes. It also marked the first Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee meeting since its launch on February 26 as the 11th subcommittee under the M.AX Alliance. Breakfast Roundtable with Battery and Display Companies Minister Kim first met with major battery and display companies and industry associations in the central region to review industry conditions and hear companies’ concerns. Participants discussed key issues facing the industry, including investment, workforce, and supply chains, against a backdrop of intensifying global competition and rising external uncertainty. They also discussed policy options to expand downstream demand—including battery leasing and R&D initiatives led by anchor buyers—and to strengthen win-win cooperation across the industrial ecosystem. Minister Kim said, “Batteries and displays are foundational industries for mobility, energy storage systems (ESS), robotics, and many other sectors. The government will strengthen the industrial ecosystem and expand M.AX to secure a clear edge in global competition.” First Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee Meeting Minister Kim then chaired the first meeting of the Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee, where participants discussed the subcommittee’s operating plan and ways to build M.AX clusters through the 10 MINI Alliances. The meeting also marked the start of a full-fledged, field-based foundation for wider adoption, bringing together local industry, academia, and research institutions. Minister Kim said, “We will build M.AX ecosystems in key industrial complexes across the five mega-regions and three special self-governing provinces so that they fully serve as Korea’s growth engines, and the benefits of AI transformation reach industries across the regions.” In addition, MOTIR will hold a two-day Industrial Complex Policy Hackathon in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do, on April 17–18, 2026, with direct participation from young workers to develop ideas for more vibrant industrial complexes. The hackathon was proposed during a January 22 roundtable with young workers held during MOTIR’s regional visit to Jeollabuk-do. It will serve as a starting point for turning young workers’ ideas into policy to build more vibrant industrial complexes. About 20 officials from MOTIR’s Regional Economic Policy Bureau will join the full two-day program to help ensure those ideas move beyond suggestions and into actual policy. date2026-04-17

Minister JK Kim Visits SP Samhwa

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited SP Samhwa, a manufacturer of paints for shipbuilding, automobiles and housing, in the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on April 13, 2026. During the visit, company officials briefed him on operations and business challenges, and he reviewed production and supply conditions for essential petrochemical items used in everyday products and key industries. “Since April 10, 2026, the government has streamlined import registration procedures under the Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances, allowing faster imports of raw materials. We ask the industry to cooperate in stabilizing paint supply and prices,” Minister Kim said. date2026-04-14

Minister JK Kim Visits Lotte Packaging Solutions

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited Lotte Packaging Solutions, a manufacturer of packaging materials for instant noodles, in the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on April 13, 2026. During the visit, company officials briefed him on operations and business challenges, and he reviewed production and supply conditions for essential petrochemical items used in everyday products and key industries. “To prevent shortages of food packaging and other everyday-use products, we will closely monitor packaging-material supply through a pan-government task force involving the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS),” Minister Kim said. date2026-04-14

Minister JK Kim Visits Daeduck Electronics

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited Daeduck Electronics, a producer of semiconductor packaging materials (PCB substrates), in the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on April 13, 2026. During the visit, company officials briefed him on operations and business challenges, and he reviewed production and supply conditions for essential petrochemical items used in everyday products and key industries. “We will maintain stable supplies of petrochemical products so that there is no disruption not only to daily necessities but also to production in national key industries such as semiconductors,” Minister Kim said. date2026-04-14

Minister JK Kim Visits AD CHEMTECH

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited AD CHEMTECH, a manufacturer of packaging materials for syringes and IV solutions, at the Banwol-Sihwa Industrial Complex in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on April 13, 2026.    During the visit, company officials briefed him on operations and business challenges, and he reviewed production and supply conditions for essential petrochemical items used in everyday products and key industries. “MOTIR, working with relevant ministries and industry, resolved supply concerns over packaging materials for IV solutions and syringes. We will continue to manage supplies thoroughly so that there is no disruption in health and medical products essential to public health,” Minister Kim said. date2026-04-14