Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Trade Minister attends DEPA Ministerial Meeting

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong attended the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) Ministerial Meeting on May 15 at ICC Jeju held on the sidelines of the 2025 APEC MRT Meeting and discussed key agendas including other countries’ accession to DEPA. date2025-05-15

Trade Minister meets Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong met with Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Zafrul Aziz on May 15 at ICC Jeju on the occasion of the 2025 APEC MRT Meeting and discussed bilateral trade issues including the progress on the Korea-Malaysia FTA negotiations. date2025-05-15

Trade Minister meets Assistant Minister of Chinese Ministry of Commerce

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong met with Assistant Minister Li Chenggang of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on May 15 at ICC Jeju on the occasion of the 2025 APEC MRT Meeting and discussed bilateral economic cooperation and trade issues including negotiations on the service and investment sectors of the Korea-China FTA. date2025-05-15

Trade Minister meets Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong held bilateral talks with Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque on May 14 at ICC Jeju on the occasion of the 2025 APEC MRT Meeting and discussed APEC outcomes and measures to invigorate Korea-Philippine trade and investment. date2025-05-15

Trade Minister attends 1st ASEAN-ROK Think-tank Dialogue on Economic and Trade Policy

Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong attended the first ASEAN-ROK Think-tank Dialogue on Economic and Trade Policy (AKTD) on May 14 on Jeju Island, held with the participation of approximately 100 representatives from Korean and ASEAN major think tanks, the ASEAN Secretariat, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), the Asia Foundation, Yonsei University, and the Korea-Southeast Asia Policy Cooperation Center. date2025-05-15

Minister Ahn attends 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn attended the “Korea Day” events at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo on May 13 with both governments’ delegations and business leaders, where he gave an opening address and visited the Korea Pavilion and other major exhibition booths.  date2025-05-15

Global Trade Leaders Gather in Jeju for the 2025 APEC MRT Meeting

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting on May 15–16, 2025, at the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju). With Korea serving as APEC chair for the first time in 20 years since 2005, Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo is chairing the MRT meeting. Attendees include trade ministers from 21 major economies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, and the U.S., as well as the WTO Director-General and the OECD Deputy Secretary-General. Amid the rapidly shifting global trade environment, the 2025 APEC MRT meeting will be the first official gathering of trade ministers for multilateral cooperation. Discussions will cover a range of trade issues and intraregional cooperation measures, such as the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. Under the 2025 APEC theme of “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper,” the meeting will feature three sessions: AI innovation for trade facilitation, connection through multilateral trade, and prosperity through sustainable trade.  In the first session, participants will discuss various cooperation measures to promote the use of AI in trade, such as AI application in tariffs and customs and standard information sharing, with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi as the keynote speaker. The second session will focus on WTO reform and APEC’s role in restoring the multilateral trade system. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will speak on WTO reform and future cooperation for multilateral trade. The last session, to be held on May 16, 2025, will address prosperity through sustainable trade. Participants will exchange views on joint efforts in establishing a sustainable supply chain, including climate crisis response. In his opening remarks, Trade Minister Cheong noted the current difficult external environment surrounding APEC and stated that the need for APEC is greater than ever amid severe global trade uncertainty. He expressed hope that the meeting will serve as a platform for dialogue and cooperation to help ease political and economic tensions and uncertainties facing the world today. date2025-05-15

Korean Culture and Technology Capture Global Attention at 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun), Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), and the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) announced that Korea will host the five-day Korea Week (May 13–17) at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, starting with Korea Day. Approximately 350 visitors attended the Korea Day event launched on May 13, 2025, including a total of 30 government officials and business leaders of both countries. The Korea Day event features a series of programs celebrating the history of Korea-Japan exchanges, beginning with a reenactment of the Joseon Tongsinsa procession commemorating the port entry of the ship that carried diplomatic envoys from the Joseon Dynasty into Osaka. The Joseon Tongsinsa was the Joseon Dynasty’s delegation for bilateral exchanges in the 17–19th century. Related records are jointly registered by the two countries on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2017. The government officials and business leaders from both countries also visited the Japan Pavilion and the Korea Pavilion. Under the theme “Between Lives,” the Japan Pavilion features plant, farm, and factory zones showcasing the use of Japan’s cutting-edge technology in waste decomposition, recycling, and the circular economy. The Korea Pavilion, themed “With Hearts,” presents a blend of advanced technology and culture through AI, hydrogen fuel cells, and K-Pop to illustrate environmental recovery and intergenerational connection. Since its opening on April 13, the Korea Pavilion has attracted about 350,000 visitors and ranks as one of the most popular national pavilions at the Expo. Officials and business leaders then attended major sideline events, including the Korea Tourism Festa and K-Food Fair. A B2B and B2C marketing exhibition space brought together 90 Korean firms and 160 Japanese buyer companies, featuring a wide range of cosmetics and daily necessities produced by Korean SMEs as well as IT home appliances and mobility products of Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, providing visitors the opportunity to experience the products firsthand. MOTIE Minister Ahn Duk-geun stated that growing global interest in the Korean lifestyle and culture is increasing demand for Korean products and technology, creating a virtuous cycle. He added that the government will build on the Expo to generate synergy so that Korea’s strengths in these areas can translate into stronger national competitiveness. Held as the final official program, the Korea-Japan Friendship Dinner brought together around 100 key figures of both countries to wish success for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo. date2025-05-13

Korea-Saudi Business and Investment Forum

Korea’s Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won attended the Korea-Saudi Business and Investment Forum on May 9 in Seoul and gave a congratulatory address to approximately 250 participants composed of Korean and Saudi government officials and related institutions. date2025-05-12

MOTIE Holds APEC Sustainable Supply Chain Forum

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) is hosting the APEC Sustainable Supply Chain Forum at the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju) on May 9, 2025, with the participation of the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) and experts from governments, industries, and research institutions across APEC member economies. The forum will examine ways to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of global supply chains by sharing public-private cooperation measures. The forum features three presentation sessions and a panel discussion. The first session addresses the shift in supply chain priorities from efficiency to sustainability and resilience. The second session introduces best practices for addressing major challenges the private sector faces in building sustainable supply chains. The third session covers strategic approaches for sustainable supply chain cooperation among APEC members.   In the panel discussion, participants will exchange views on practical cooperation measures to build global supply chains across the APEC region. Through this forum, MOTIE aims to lay the groundwork for Korean companies to preemptively respond to global supply chain realignment through sustainability and resilience. The forum’s outcomes will also be incorporated into future policy development. date2025-05-09