Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister Ahn meets U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock on January 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss stronger bilateral trade, industrial, and energy cooperation. date2025-01-13

Minister Ahn meets U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville on January 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss stronger bilateral trade, industrial, and energy cooperation. date2025-01-13

Minister Ahn meets U.S. Senator Todd Young

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. Senator Todd Young on January 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss stronger bilateral trade, industrial, and energy cooperation. date2025-01-13

Minister Ahn meets U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach on January 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss stronger bilateral industrial, trade, and energy cooperation. date2025-01-13

Minister Ahn meets U.S. Representative Carol Miller

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. Representative Carol Miller on January 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss stronger bilateral industrial, trade, and energy cooperation. date2025-01-13

Minister Ahn Discusses Stronger Korea-U.S. Cooperation on Industry, Energy, and Trade with Federal and State Officials

Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) visited the state of Georgia and Washington, D.C. on January 6 to January 9, 2025. During his visit, he held meetings with the U.S. Secretary of Energy, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Governor of Georgia, state lawmakers, federal senators and representatives, leading think tanks, and other stakeholders. Minister Ahn also participated in a roundtable with Korean companies operating in Georgia. During his meetings with members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means, which oversee trade and taxation matters, Minister Ahn emphasized the strengthened supply chain connections between the two countries, driven by Korean companies’ investments in the United States. He urged U.S. legislators to continue fostering a favorable business environment for Korean companies. In a separate meeting with Senator Todd Young, co-sponsor of the "SHIPS for America Act," a bill aimed at strengthening the U.S. shipbuilding industry, Minister Ahn discussed the ongoing cooperation on policies and legislation to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding sector. Furthermore, in discussions with legislators representing states such as Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama—key hubs for Korean investment in the U.S.—he sought their active interest and support to ensure the smooth and stable implementation of Korean investment projects in these states. Minister Ahn also held bilateral meetings with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai. In these meetings, he reviewed the achievements resulting from the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two governments and highlighted the need for continued cooperation in industry, energy, and trade sectors under the new U.S. administration. Minister Ahn stated, "This visit provided an opportunity to highlight the activities of Korean investors to U.S. federal and state officials as well as legislators, while reaffirming the strength of the Korea-U.S. relationship amid  evolving political landscape in both countries." He added, "We will closely monitor the policies introduced by the new U.S. administration and continue to strengthen U.S.-Korea cooperation to ensure that Korean investments and business operations in the U.S. remain stable amid the changing global environment." date2025-01-10

Korea Named Global Innovation Champion at CES 2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) announced on January 8, 2025, that Korea was named one of this year’s Global Innovation Champions at the Consumer Electrics Show (CES) 2025 currently underway in Las Vegas, United States. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which owns and produces CES, evaluates countries’ technological innovation capacity through its Global Innovation Scorecard and announces the results during CES. This year’s report evaluates 75 countries according to 15 criteria. Countries are classified into four tires in descending order: Innovation Champions, Innovation Leaders, Innovation Adopters, and Modest Innovators. This year, Korea moved up from its previous position as an Innovation Leader in 2023, to the highest tier of Innovation Champion. Korea received high scores for its openness to global tech trade and cross-border data flows, favorable environment for startup and small business, innovation-friendly legal environment, and digital transparency. Other Innovation Champions include the U.S., the UK, Japan, France, and Germany. date2025-01-08

Minister Ahn chairs meeting with Korean businesses operating in Georgia, U.S.

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea chaired a meeting on January 7 in Atlanta with representatives of Korean businesses operating in Georgia, U.S., including Hyundai Motor Group, Absolix, Aluko, Hyundai Mobis, and LS C&S as well as related institutions like KOTRA, to discuss investment issues. date2025-01-08

Minister Ahn visits SK Battery America

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea visited SK Battery America in Georgia, U.S., on January 7 where he received a briefing on business management from SK Battery CEO Yoonsang Chaey and discussed U.S. investment issues. date2025-01-08

Minister Ahn meets U.S. lawmakers in Georgia

Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea met U.S. lawmakers including Georgia State Senator Michael Rhett on January 6 in Atlanta to discuss measures for Korea-U.S. and Korea-Georgia cooperation and received a resolution expressing appreciation for Korean firms’ investment in the state of Georgia. date2025-01-08