Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister Meets U.S. Secretary of Energy

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on July 23 (local time) in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. date2025-07-28

MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group Sign MOU

Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Lee Hohyeon attended the signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Hyundai Motor Group on July 22 at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang in Gyeonggi Province. The event was organized to establish cooperation for providing eco-friendly vehicles, including hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), during Energy Super Week.  Before the ceremony, Vice Minister  Lee toured the exhibition space inside the studio. Through this MOU, MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group will support the provision of eco-friendly vehicles for ministerial-level delegates, representatives, and international organizations participating in the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting . Attendees included officials from MOTIE and Hyundai Motor Group, among them Dongwook Kim, Executive Vice President  of Hyundai Motor Company.  date2025-07-23

Korea and Cambodia Launch First Article 6.2 Climate Project

Korea has officially launched its first carbon mitigation project under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, in partnership with the Kingdom of Cambodia. The project was authorized by the Cambodian government on July 18, 2025, and commemorated at an official ceremony on July 21, 2025, in Phnom Penh, marking a major milestone in Korea’s global climate action and bilateral cooperation. The approved project, led by Korean private company VeryWords, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cambodia’s transport sector through the deployment of electric motorcycles and the development of charging infrastructure over a ten-year period (2025–2034). The project is expected to reduce 680,000 tCO2eq, of which 400,000 tons will be transferred to Korea and counted toward its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). “This is the first approved outcome of Korea’s investment support program, launched in 2023, which provides upfront financing to Korean companies and recovers the investment later in the form of carbon credits,” a MOTIE official said. Article 6.2 in Action: From Framework to Implementation The Ministry of Environment of Cambodia issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) under its national Article 6 governance framework, officially allowing the project to commence operations in accordance with Cambodia’s rules and procedures. The LOA followed work by a joint working group involving Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). On the Korean side, KOTRA and the Korea Energy Agency (KEA) also took part. The group reviewed key project elements, including the methodology, total emission reductions, and allocation ratios, laying the groundwork for the official authorization. Advancing Structural Cooperation Through High-Level Dialogue Building on this achievement, Korea and Cambodia are working to expand cooperation beyond individual projects. On July 21–22,2025, high-level bilateral meetings and an International Mitigation Forum were held in Phnom Penh to discuss future collaboration in the transport sector. MOTIE held bilateral meetings with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) of Cambodia, focusing on government-to-government partnerships in the transport sector.   The forum also brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and international organizations to discuss future mitigation projects and ways to align carbon market strategies. “This project shows that bilateral cooperation under Article 6.2 is moving into implementation,” said the MOTIE official. “By aligning Cambodia’s policy leadership with Korea’s technology and investment, the two countries are laying the groundwork for scalable, long-term climate partnerships beyond individual projects.” date2025-07-21

MOTIE Holds Energy Super Week Briefing for Foreign Embassies in Korea

On July 8, 2025, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) held a briefing for foreign embassies in Korea on the upcoming Energy Super Week (Aug. 25–29 2025) in Seoul. During the session, MOTIE outlined the event’s main programs and the newly elected administration’s energy policy directions, requesting the foreign embassies’ interest and support. The briefing was attended by 43 foreign embassies in Korea including those of Japan, the EU, the UK, and Vietnam. Four major events are lined up for Energy Super Week in Busan: the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting (Aug. 27–28 2025), 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (Aug. 25–27 2025), 10th Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial (Aug. 25–27 2025), and 2025 World Climate Industry EXPO (Aug. 27–29 2025). Energy ministers, government delegations, and business leaders of 40 member economies, as well as relevant international organizations, will gather at the events to discuss future energy outlooks and solutions. The APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will cover key agendas such as power grid infrastructure, energy security, stable power supply, and AI-powered energy innovation. At the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial and the 10th Mission Innovation Ministerial, participants will discuss energy efficiency, power transition, future fuels such as hydrogen, AI-enabled energy innovation, and carbon reduction technologies. In late August, MOTIE will co-host the 2025 World Climate Industry EXPO with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and World Bank (WB) under the theme of “Energy for AI & AI for Energy.” Featured speakers will include IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and WB Vice President Manuela Ferro. The program will consist of three major summits—the Global Leadership Summit, the Energy & AI Summit, and the Climate Summit—as well as 12 specialized conferences and side events, including recruitment sessions and business consultations. Visitors can also experience the latest and next-generation climate and energy technologies  at various booths set up by Samsung, LG, Doosan Enerbility, Hanwha Qcells, and other global companies. date2025-07-08

Trade Minister meets U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

Korea’s Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo met U.S. Interior Secretary and National Energy Council Chair Doug Burgum on June 27 in Washington D.C. and discussed Korea-U.S. cooperation in energy areas including LNG. date2025-06-30

Minister Ahn Holds Talks with U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources

Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) met with members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on May 30, 2025, in Seoul to discuss Korea-U.S. cooperation in energy and critical minerals. The U.S. delegation was led by Committee Chairman and U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and also included Representatives Nick Begich (R-AK), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Celeste Maloy (R-UT), and Sarah Elfreth (D-MD). During the talks, Minister Ahn emphasized the need to strengthen Korea-U.S. energy cooperation and to stabilize critical mineral supply chains in light of rising global energy demand and supply chain uncertainties. He also called for close attention to ensure that recent U.S. tariff measures do not undermine the two countries’ close industrial and energy cooperation, and proposed to continue consultations on strengthening bilateral energy cooperation to resolve energy security and trade imbalance issues. Referring to the budget reconciliation bill that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives, Minister Ahn underscored the need for policy continuity, whether through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits or comparable support, to ensure stability for Korean companies investing in the U.S. He also called for congressional interest and support to invigorate bilateral trade and investment. date2025-05-30

Minister Ahn meets members of U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn met with members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on May 30 in Seoul to discuss measures for Korea-U.S. cooperation in energy and critical minerals. The U.S. delegation, led by Committee Chairman and U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR), consisted of Representatives Nick Begich (R-AK), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Celeste Maloy (R-UT), and Sarah Elfreth (D-MD). date2025-05-30

Korea Opens 2025 Hydrogen Power Bidding Market

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) announced the opening of the 2025 hydrogen power bidding market. The hydrogen power bidding market is a system for purchasing and supplying electricity generated using hydrogen or hydrogen compounds as fuel. It consists of two categories—clean hydrogen power or general hydrogen power—depending on the fuel used. Only power facilities using fuels that meet Korea’s clean hydrogen certification standard of no more than 4 kg CO₂e per 1 kg of hydrogen are eligible to participate in the clean hydrogen power bidding market. The clean hydrogen power bidding market is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by expanding power generation using carbon-free clean hydrogen. For 2025, the bidding volume is set at 3,000 GWh/year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 850,000 households, with a contract period of 15 years. Power generation must begin by 2029, following a three-year preparation period, with a one-year grace period in consideration of the program’s initial phase. Final bidders will be selected around November through a comprehensive evaluation of both pricing and non-pricing factors, including bid price, clean hydrogen grade, fuel supply stability, and industrial and economic contribution. Notably, the 2025 clean hydrogen power bidding market will introduce two new mechanisms long requested by the industry: an exchange rate-linked settlement system and a hydrogen volume borrowing system. Until now, settlements were made at fixed prices in Korean won, with project developers bearing the risk of won-dollar exchange rate fluctuations. Starting in 2025, however, power prices will be linked to the exchange rate at the time of settlement, helping reduce business risks stemming from currency fluctuations. In addition to the existing hydrogen volume carryover system, which allows unused hydrogen volumes to be carried over to the following year, the market will also introduce a new borrowing system, enabling operators to use part of the following year’s allocated hydrogen volume in advance. This improvement is expected to give operators greater flexibility when scheduled maintenance and similar factors make it harder to meet contracted generation volumes. The bid announcement and more detailed information will be available on the hydrogen power bidding market website of Korea Power Exchange (kchps.kmos.kr) starting at 5:00 p.m. on May 9 (KST). date2025-05-09

Korea-Czech nuclear reactor cooperation arrangement

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn and Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček signed a Korea-Czech nuclear reactor cooperation arrangement on May 7 in Prague in the presence of Czech Prime Minister Fiala and both countries’ government delegations. date2025-05-09

Czech nuclear reactor project localization agreement ceremony

Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn attended the Czech nuclear reactor project localization agreement ceremony on May 7 in Prague with Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček and other leaders of both countries' governments and businesses. date2025-05-09