Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Trade Minister Meets with U.S. Senator Andrew Kim

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) met with U.S. Senator Andrew Kim (D-New Jersey) at the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 2026 (local time), to outline Korea’s domestic digital legislative developments and hear concerns raised by the U.S. side. date2026-01-14

Trade Minister Meets with NFTC President

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) met with representatives of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2026 (local time), to hear updates on developments related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to outline Korea’s domestic digital legislative developments. The meeting was attended by Jake Colvin, President of the NFTC, along with other NFTC officials. date2026-01-13

Trade Minister Meets with CCIA President

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) met with representatives of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) at the CCIA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2026 (local time), to outline Korea’s domestic digital legislative developments and hear concerns raised by the U.S. side. The meeting was attended by Matthew Schruers, President and CEO of the CCIA, along with other CCIA officials. date2026-01-13

Trade Minister Meets with U.S. Representative Darell Issa

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) met with U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (CA-48) at the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2026 (local time), to outline Korea’s domestic digital legislative developments and hear concerns raised by the U.S. side. date2026-01-13

Trade Minister Attends U.S. CSI Roundtable

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) attended the U.S. Coalition of Services Industries (CSI) Roundtable held in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2026 (local time), where he gathered views from the U.S. services industry. The roundtable was attended by Christine Bliss, President of CSI, along with CSI officials and member companies. date2026-01-13

Roundtable with A&P IEEPA

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) attended the A&P IEEPA Roundtable held in Washington, D.C., on January 12, 2026 (local time), where he discussed trade-related implications in preparation for a forthcoming ruling under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The roundtable was attended by John P. Elwood, Head of Appellate and Supreme Court Practice at A&P, along with other A&P officials. date2026-01-13

MOTIR Holds Roundtable with AMCHAM

JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim, Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), attended a roundtable with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), including James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM, and representatives of major U.S. companies operating in Korea, at the Mugunghwa Hall of the Government Complex Seoul on January 9, 2026. Held at AMCHAM’s request, the meeting focused on gathering feedback and hearing about challenges faced by U.S. companies investing in Korea, as well as strengthening communication to support their investment activities. Minister Kim stated, “We will work to reflect feedback from AMCHAM member companies in our policies, while continuing to create a more predictable and stable investment environment for foreign-invested companies.” date2026-01-12

MOTIR Minister Encourages U.S. Companies to Expand Investment in Korea

Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim held a meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), including U.S. foreign-invested companies operating in Korea, on Friday afternoon, January 9, 2026, at the Mugunghwa Hall of the Government Complex Seoul. The meeting was arranged at AMCHAM’s request amid the signing of a memorandum of understanding on strategic investment between Korea and the United States in November last year and the subsequent proposal of the Special Act for Korea–U.S. Strategic Investment Management. Discussions focused on gathering feedback and hearing about the challenges faced by U.S. foreign-invested companies operating in Korea, as well as on strengthening communication to better support their investment activities. During the meeting, Minister Kim expressed his appreciation for the fact that U.S. investment in Korea reached a record high last year, noting that the increase comes at a time when Korean firms are also expanding investment in the U.S. following the conclusion of bilateral tariff negotiations. He assessed that this trend reflects the mutually beneficial development of investment cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was attended by James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM Korea, along with representatives of major American companies investing in Korea. Participants shared their views on issues such as Korea–U.S. tariff negotiations on individual products and foreign investment incentive schemes. Minister Kim stated, “The government will reflect feedback from AMCHAM member companies in its policies, while continuing to create a more predictable and stable investment environment for foreign-invested companies.” Looking ahead to 2026, Minister Kim expressed hope that bilateral cooperation would further deepen in advanced and future-oriented industries, and encouraged U.S. companies to continue expanding their investment in Korea. MOTIR plans to carefully review the suggestions raised at the meeting and maintain close communication with key foreign-invested companies. date2026-01-12

2025 Foreign Direct Investment Briefing

Nam Myung-woo, Acting Director General for Cross-Border Investment Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), delivered a briefing to the press on Korea’s 2025 foreign direct investment performance at the Government Complex Sejong on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. During the briefing, Acting Director General Nam noted that Korea’s annual foreign direct investment in 2025, based on investment notifications, rose 4.3 percent year-on-year to USD 36.1 billion, marking the highest level on record, while funds received increased 16.3 percent to $18.0 billion, ranking third highest on record. The briefing was followed by a question-and-answer session with members of the press corps. date2026-01-07

Korea’s Annual Foreign Direct Investment Hits All-Time High of $36.1 Billion

Korea’s annual foreign direct investment (FDI) on a notification basis reached USD 36.1 billion in 2025, up 4.3 percent year-on-year and marking an all-time high. Actual inflows also increased 16.3 percent year-on-year to $18.0 billion, the third-highest figure on record. Despite a steep decline in investment during the first half of 2025 (down 14.6 percent), overall investor sentiment recovered following the launch of the new administration, which helped restore confidence in Korea’s economy and industries and reduce uncertainty. In particular, the government’s strong policy drive in artificial intelligence (AI), combined with proactive investment promotion efforts surrounding the Gyeongju APEC Summit, proved effective. In addition to quantitative growth, the quality of investment also improved. Greenfield investment, which has a strong impact on regional economic revitalization and job creation, reached its highest level to date. High-quality investments linked to advanced industries such as AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology also expanded, supporting expectations that these inflows will contribute significantly to the development of Korea’s economy and industries. By type, greenfield investment notifications rose 7.1 percent year-on-year to $28.6 billion, the highest level on record. M&A investment totaled $7.5 billion, down 5.1 percent from the previous year; however, the pace of decline narrowed significantly after a sharp drop of 54.0 percent in the third quarter. By industry, manufacturing investment increased 8.8 percent year-on-year to $15.8 billion, led by notable investment in key materials for advanced industries, reflecting efforts to strengthen supply chains amid external uncertainty. Investment rose sharply in chemicals (up 99.5 percent to $5.8 billion) and metals (up 272.2 percent to $2.7 billion), while declines were recorded in electrical and electronics (down 31.6 percent to $3.6 billion), as well as machinery and medical precision equipment (down 63.7 percent to $0.9 billion). Services investment also expanded, rising 6.8 percent year-on-year to $19.1 billion, supported by increased investment in AI data centers and online platforms. Growth was concentrated in distribution (up 71.0 percent to $2.9 billion), information and communications (up 9.2 percent to $2.3 billion), and research and development, professional, and scientific services (up 43.6 percent to $2.0 billion), while finance and insurance recorded a decline (down 10.6 percent to $7.5 billion). By source country, investment from the United States expanded mainly in metals, distribution, and information and communications, reaching $9.8 billion, up 86.6 percent year-on-year. Investment from the European Union increased to $6.9 billion (up 35.7 percent), driven largely by chemicals and distribution. In contrast, investment from Japan declined 28.1 percent to $4.4 billion, while investment from China fell 38.0 percent to $3.6 billion. Building on the momentum from last year’s strong performance, MOTIR will expand incentives for foreign investment linked to regional development in 2026, actively identify and improve unreasonable regulations affecting foreign-invested companies, and continue efforts to create a more predictable and stable investment environment. date2026-01-07