Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Workshop on Recent Approaches to Domestic Regulation of Services in APEC

Korea’s Director General for Multilateral Trade and Legal Affairs Oh Choong-jong attended the Workshop on Recent Approaches to the Domestic Regulation of Services in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Region held at Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon, Korea, on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. In his congratulatory remarks, the director general stated, “The services industry is the driving force of APEC’s economic growth, and its importance continues to grow as its scope expands with digital transformation.” He added, “APEC, as an incubator of new ideas, has long supported the multilateral trading system. We hope this workshop will serve as a catalyst for achieving meaningful outcomes at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled for next year.” The MOTIE workshop brought together government delegations from Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the US; Jaime Coghi Arias, Chair of the WTO negotiations on services domestic regulation; Jillian DeLuna, Convenor of the APEC Group on Services; as well as representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, and Walmart, and other domestic and international industry figures and experts. date2025-08-07

APEC 2025 Leads Discussion on Regulatory Improvements to Boost Services Trade

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister JK Kim) held the Workshop on Recent Approaches to the Domestic Regulation of Services in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon, on the sidelines of the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting. Domestic regulation of services refers to efforts to enhance transparency and predictability in domestic processes—such as licensing and qualification—with the goal of reducing transaction costs and promoting trade in services. APEC established relevant non-binding principles in 2018, while the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted legally binding disciplines in 2021 following plurilateral negotiations. These disciplines entered into force in 2024 and currently apply to 72 WTO members, including 16 APEC economies. According to WTO data, these members account for over 92.5 percent of global services trade, and implementation of the disciplines is projected to cut global trade costs in the services sector by more than USD 127 billion. The MOTIE workshop brought together government delegations from Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States; Jaime Coghi Arias, Chair of the WTO negotiations on services domestic regulation; Jillian DeLuna, Convenor of the APEC Group on Services; and representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI), Walmart, and other industry and expert groups. The program consisted of four sessions covering recent developments in APEC and WTO discussions, best practices among member economies, the impact of domestic regulation on services trade, sector-specific issues such as tourism and AI, and future directions for regulatory development. At the event, Oh Choong-jong, Director General for Multilateral Trade and Legal Affairs at MOTIE, stated, “The services industry is a key driver of economic growth in the APEC region, and its importance continues to grow as digital transformation expands its scope.” He added, “APEC is an incubator of new ideas and has supported the multilateral trading system. We hope this workshop will serve as a catalyst for achieving meaningful outcomes at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled for next year." date2025-08-06

8th Korea-China (Shandong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange

Korea’s Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won attended the 8th Korea-China (Shandong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Friday, August 1, 2025. In his congratulatory remarks, he expressed hopes that Korea and Shandong would strengthen cooperation for smoother supply chains, expand collaboration into new areas such as the healthcare, bio, and hydrogen sectors, and continue efforts to broaden exchanges between companies from both regions. He then listened to presentations on key topics related to the healthcare, medical, hydrogen, and low-carbon industries. The event brought together more than 250 participants, including bilateral government officials, as well as business representatives. date2025-08-05

Public-Private Policy Dialogue on AI and Trade

Korea’s Director General for Multilateral Trade and Legal Affairs Oh Choong-jong attended a public-private policy dialogue on AI and trade on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, held at Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon, Korea, to discuss measures to expand business opportunities and manage risks through harmonized AI policies within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. In his opening remarks, the director general stated that this policy dialogue marked the first APEC-level discussion on the future of AI and trade. He added that the public-private discourse would serve as a starting point for leading APEC economies in AI, such as the US and China, to confer closely and flesh out plans for implementing AI initiatives in trade, with the goal of achieving meaningful outcomes at the APEC Ministerial Meeting scheduled for late October. The dialogue brought together more than 100 participants, including government officials from 21 APEC members, as well as domestic and overseas business representatives. date2025-08-05

APEC Automotive Dialogue to Continue Talks on Intelligent, Eco-friendly Future Mobility Technologies and Policies

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister JK Kim) announced that the 42nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Automotive Dialogue (AD) will be held from Friday, August 1 to Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon as part of Korea’s APEC 2025 host-year program. Established in 1999, the AD is an official public-private consultative body where governments and industry representatives from across the APEC region share key automotive policy issues and industry trends and discuss cooperation. Delegations from 14 APEC member economies—including the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, and China—will attend, and MOTIE and the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) will again serve as co-chairs, following the 41st AD held from May 8 to 9, 2025, at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC). The agenda includes the global automobile market outlook; strategies for electric vehicle and battery ecosystems; the social impacts of emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous driving; and the inclusiveness and sustainability of future mobility. Korea will present on battery safety technology trends, hydrogen mobility, connected and autonomous driving technologies, and related policy issues. On July 31, 2025, ahead of the AD, officials and experts held a working-level workshop on the sustainable development of the automobile industry and people-centered mobility, laying the groundwork for cooperation on future vehicle technologies and policy exchanges among APEC members. The AD will provide an opportunity for APEC members to explore joint responses to key issues in the future vehicle sector and shape cooperation toward a sustainable and inclusive future mobility ecosystem. date2025-08-01

MOTIE holds policy forum for cooperation with India and Southwest Asian countries

Korea’s Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won attended a policy forum on the theme of “Digital Transformation and Korea-India Cooperation Strategy” today in Seoul to discuss future cooperation between the two countries in cutting-edge industries. In his opening message, he stated that the two countries’ economic cooperation and outcomes were previously focused on manufacturing sectors, adding that in consideration of the recent global oversupply and other structural issues, Korea and India should advance practical cooperation and uncover new cooperative models in digital high-tech areas going forward. date2025-07-09

MOTIE Hosts Policy Forum on Korea-India Cooperation in Advanced Industries

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) jointly held a policy forum in Seoul on July 9, 2025, under the theme of “Digital Transformation and Korea-India Cooperation Strategy” to discuss future cooperation between the two countries in advanced industries. At the forum, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) Research Fellow Ro Yoon-jae delivered the first presentation on India’s digital public infrastructure strategy. He was followed by Wellmatix CEO Satyabrata Aich, who outlined the prospects for collaboration based on AI industry trends and best cooperative practices between the two countries. Both speakers underscored the need for a stronger Korea-India strategic partnership in these areas, highlighting that Korea’s advanced manufacturing technologies and India’s IT competitiveness and startups ecosystem are highly complementary. Representatives from HD Hyundai, Balance Hero, Medipixel, and other companies operating in India also attended the forum to share their experience in the local market and call for deeper intergovernmental policy cooperation. In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won stated that the economic cooperation between Korea and India has so far produced results mainly in manufacturing. He added that given structural issues such as the recent global, Korea and India should advance practical cooperation and identify new cooperative models in advanced digital industries. With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea-India special strategic partnership, MOTIE plans to expand policy communication with the Indian government and bolster cooperation in new industries. date2025-07-09

Korea-Algeria Joint Economic Committee virtual preliminary meeting

Korea’s Director General for International Trade Relations Kim Jong-chul led the Korean delegation in the virtual intergovernmental working-level meeting with Abdelmalek Bouheddou, Director General of the Asia Oceania Division at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on May 27 and discussed agenda items for the Korea-Algeria Joint Economic Committee. date2025-05-29

Korea and Algeria Launch Talks to Resume Joint Economic Committee

Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) held the first director general-level working meeting with Algeria by videoconference on May 27, 2025, as the two sides moved to resume the Korea-Algeria Joint Economic Committee, the two countries’ ministerial-level cooperative channel. Algeria, the only African country to have forged a strategic partnership with Korea,  has the largest land area in the continent, abundance in energy and mineral resources, comparatively younger demographic structure, and a strategic location as a gateway to Africa and Europe.  The Korea-Algeria Joint Economic Committee was convened three times through 2007, but was later suspended amid weakened momentum for economic cooperation following the drop in global oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the two countries have opened talks on resuming the Committee in anticipation of wider cooperation and industrial diversification. Over the years, Korea’s plant and construction companies have long taken part in Algeria’s various infrastructure projects, including combined cycle power plants, highways, and container terminals. Cooperation is also expected to expand in manufacturing sectors such as automobiles and home appliances. The meeting marked a preliminary round of working-level preparations for the fourth ministerial Korea-Algeria Joint Economic Committee. The two sides reviewed areas of mutual interest and explored opportunities for concrete cooperation across a wide range of agendas spanning industries, energy, digital, ICT, agriculture, environment, healthcare, and culture.  The Korean side also proposed that the two sides enter an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as a legal and institutional basis for expanding bilateral trade and investment. The two sides also agreed to discuss hosting a business cooperation event in conjunction with the ministerial-level Committee meeting. Noting the significant potential for economic cooperation with Algeria, Korea’s Director General for International Trade Relations Kim Jong-chul stated that additional working-level meetings will be held in the near future to finalize bilateral agenda in order to resume the ministerial-level joint Committee after an 18-year hiatus. date2025-05-28

57th Korea-Japan Business Conference preliminary talks

Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Dukgeun Ahn, on May 26 in Seoul, chaired the preliminary talks held on the margins of the 57th Korea-Japan Business Conference with the participation of both countries’ business leaders and led discussions on measures for the two countries’ sustainable growth and development.  date2025-05-27