Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

U.S. CEBA Officially Joins CFE Initiative

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) announced on May 8, 2025, that the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) officially joined the Carbon Free Energy (CFE) Initiative. CEBA is the largest U.S. organization representing clean energy buyers, consisting of over 400 members, including global tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. On May 6, 2025, (local time) in Minnesota, U.S., the Carbon Free (CF) Alliance and CEBA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation under the CFE Initiative. The signing took place during CEBA Connect: 2025 Spring Summit, CEBA’s flagship annual event, attended by former IPCC Chair and CF Alliance Chairman Lee Ho-seung. Under the MOU, CEBA will represent the U.S. private sector in the CFE Global Working Group. It will also join the CF Alliance’s efforts to establish global CFE certification standards, including the definition and scope of carbon-free energy and methods for verifying and certifying carbon credits. With CEBA’s participation, membership in the CFE Global Working Group rises to seven: Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Czech Republic, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). Based on the MOU, the CF Alliance and CEBA agreed to cooperate in a range of areas to promote the diffusion of carbon-free energy sources. Their cooperation will include convening annual joint international conferences and engaging in technology and policy information exchanges. The CFE Initiative has already won support from major countries and organizations such as Japan, the UK, France, and the IEA. In October 2024, the CFE Global Working Group was launched, which now includes public and private experts from around the world. Other organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the IEA, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), have also expressed support, and consensus is growing across the international community on the need to harness various carbon-free energy sources. Companies in Korea and abroad also expressed support for the CFE Initiative, viewing it as more inclusive, cost-effective, and technology-neutral than other similar initiatives. It is also considered more business-friendly in terms of scalability in developing countries and its recognition of Scope 1 emission reductions. date2025-05-08

Minister Ahn attends AMCHAM Evolving Energy Forum

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn attended the AMCHAM Evolving Energy Forum on April 18 in Seoul held under the theme of “Opportunities in the Korea-U.S. Partnership” and gave a congratulatory address. date2025-04-21

Korea and Vietnam sign MOU for cooperation in power grids and new energy industries

Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn and Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien led their government delegations in attending the MOU signing ceremony between Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) for cooperation in power grids and new energy industries. date2025-04-14

Vice Minister attends Korea Pavilion opening ceremony at World Expo 2025 Osaka

Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Namho Choe attended the Korea Pavilion opening ceremony at World Expo 2025 Osaka on April 13 with the participation of Korea and Japan’s government delegations, related institutions, and business leaders including Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) President Kang Kyung-sung and Commissioner General of the 2025 World Exposition in Japan Haneda Koji. date2025-04-14

Vice Minister meets IEA Deputy Executive Director

Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Namho Choe met International Energy Agency (IEA)'s Deputy Executive Director Mary Burce Warlick on April 10 in Seoul for discussions on changes in the global energy market and response measures. date2025-04-14

Public and Private Sector Experts Gather in Seoul to Discuss Clean Energy Transition

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) held the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and 10th Mission Innovation (MI) high-level working meetings in Seoul on April 9–11, 2025, bringing together about 280 participants from the governments of 24 member economies, international organizations, and the public and private sectors. During the meetings, participants exchanged views on trends in clean energy distribution, technological innovations, and policies to expedite clean energy transitions in line with global energy and climate goals. They also discussed sector-specific joint measures and preparations for the CEM and MI ministerial conferences slated for August 2025. As the chair of this year’s CEM and MI ministerial meetings, Korea proposed expanding clean power, promoting hydrogen as a future fuel, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy innovation as key agenda items. Given the importance of clean power, hydrogen, and AI technology to climate action, clean energy distribution, and energy security, participants are expected to actively seek joint measures for related support policies and technological innovations. The CEM and MI ministerial conferences will be held in Busan on August 26–27, 2025, alongside the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting on August 27–28, 2025, and the World Climate Industry EXPO on August 27–29, 2025. Together, the events are expected to provide a broad forum for discussions on measures for sustainable growth and cooperation among energy leaders from more than 40 countries. date2025-04-10

Korea and Japan to Boost Joint Efforts in Hydrogen Economy

Director General for Hydrogen Economy Policy Choi Woo-hyuk at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) attended the second Korea-Japan Hydrogen Cooperation Dialogue in Tokyo on March 26, 2026. He was joined by Sadanori Ito, Director General for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and representatives from 11 hydrogen-related institutions from both countries. The two countries had launched working groups on clean hydrogen supply chains, carbon intensity and certification, standards and criteria, and safety following the Korea–Japan industry ministerial talks and the first Hydrogen Cooperation Dialogue in June 2024. During today’s second meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress in the four working groups’ on cooperation agendas and discussed measures to expand collaboration. Recognizing the private sector’s critical role in clean hydrogen supply chain cooperation, the two sides agreed to establish a private Korea-Japan cooperative platform for hydrogen supply chain utilization alongside the existing intergovernmental cooperation channel. They also agreed to convene bilateral hydrogen seminars to make tangible progress in joint efforts on clean hydrogen supply chains, hydrogen co-firing, and hydrogen mobility. On carbon intensity and certification, the two countries agreed to work together improve methodologies for measuring greenhouse gas emissions generated during clean hydrogen production. They will also make joint visits to major overseas sites. On standards and criteria, the two sides will work together on the international standardization of key hydrogen technologies. On safety, Korea and Japan will expand exchanges on hydrogen safety information and best practice sharing. date2025-03-26

Minister Ahn chairs 35th Energy Commission

Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea chaired the 35th Energy Commission meeting on March 14 in Seoul for deliberation on the Government’s plans regarding energy supply and demand during emergencies, gas safety management, and electrical safety management. date2025-03-17

Korea Holds 35th Energy Commission Meeting

Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)  held the 35th Energy Commission meeting on March 14, 2025, to deliberate on three agenda items: the Energy Supply and Demand Plan for Emergencies, the Third Basic Plan for Gas Safety Management, and the First Basic Plan for Electrical Safety Management. The Korean government has been preparing response measures against emergency situations involving disruptions to the national energy supply by establishing the Energy Supply and Demand Plan for Emergencies under the Energy Act. In light of the rapidly changing energy supply and demand landscape due to Korea’s shifting energy mix, geopolitical uncertainties following the Russia-Ukraine war, and climate anomalies, the government has laid out response measures to various emergency scenarios. A key feature of the newly established Energy Supply and Demand Plan for Emergencies is that it reorganizes Korea’s energy mix set from electrical power, crude oil, gas, and coal to electrical power, crude oil, gas, and thermal power, reflecting lower coal demand and rising thermal energy demand. The plan also expands the scope of power emergency management to cover not only supply and demand but also the electrical power system, as the growth of renewable energy use has increased power system volatility. Since 2015, the government has been renewing the Basic Plan for Gas Safety Management every five years due to the flammability and explosion risks of gas. Compared with the Second Basic Plan for Gas Safety Management established in 2020, the third plan calls for developing safety standards for new hydrogen technologies and expanding related infrastructure in preparation for Korea’s growing hydrogen economy. In view of the increasing number of old gas facilities, the government will also deploy information technology actively to shift toward a digital-based, continuous safety management system and strengthen voluntary safety management by the private sector. Korea’s electricity use is rising with the spread of power-intensive facilities such as datacenters, and damage from electrical accidents is becoming more complex and larger in scale. In response to these changes, the government established the First Electrical Safety Management Basic Plan in 2025, outlining measures to enhance safety management for vulnerable areas, including multipurpose facilities, industrial complexes, and socially disadvantaged groups. It will also promote flexible, field-oriented electrical safety management and safety technology innovation, while supporting the growth of the electrical safety industry by building a private-led foundation for electrical safety. Minister Ahn stated that the government will continue to innovate the safety management system in line with changing conditions, including the growth of the hydrogen economy and rising electricity demand from advanced industries, to ensure that people can use energy safely. date2025-03-14

Korea and Mongolia Strengthen Full-Cycle Cooperation on Rare Metals

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) held the second Korea-Mongolia Rare Metals Cooperation Joint Committee  meeting in Seoul on March 12, 2025, to strengthen bilateral cooperation on rare metals supply chains. The Committee was held as a follow-up to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on rare metals supply chain cooperation signed during the Mongolian Prime Minister's visit to Korea in February 2023. Deputy Minister for Energy Policy Lee Ho-hyeon led the Korean delegation, which included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant organizations. Mongolia’s State Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources Javkhlanbaatar Sereeter led the Mongolian delegation, joined by the National Geological Survey and the Institute of Geology. The two sides discussed various measures for rare metals cooperation. The Korea-Mongolia Rare Metals Cooperation Center, one of the two countries’ key rare metals cooperation projects, is expected to complete the installation of equipment and facilities by November 2025. The center will serve as a base for Korean companies seeking to enter Mongolia’s mineral development sector and help address key bottlenecks in rare metals technology development.  The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) and Mongolia’s Geological Center for Research and Analysis (GCRA) will jointly explore critical minerals to identify rare metal reserves in Mongolia and conduct demonstrations of Korean companies’ exploration technologies. The Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) plans to launch an R&D project to expedite Mongolia’s tin mining development and contribute to Korea’s supply chains by applying smart mining technologies suitable for Mongolian sites and securing beneficiation technologies for a pilot plant. Going forward, Korea and Mongolia plan to pursue full-cycle cooperation from exploration to development, focusing on commercially promising rare metals to help stabilize Korea’s supply chains and develop Mongolia’s mineral resources. date2025-03-12