Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

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

Trade Minister meets U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan

Korea’s Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo met U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) on July 8 (local time) in Washington D.C. and asked for support in facilitating a stable business environment for Korean firms investing in the U.S. date2025-07-09

Trade Minister attends conference hosted by National Association of Manufacturers

Korea's Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo attended a conference hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington D.C. on July 8 (local time) to discuss mutually beneficial measures for Korea-U.S. manufacturing cooperation and exchanged views on Korea’s investment environment. 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

Trade Minister meets U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Korea’s Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo met U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on July 7 (local time) in Washington D.C. to discuss Korea-U.S. manufacturing cooperation and other bilateral trade issues. date2025-07-08

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. Trade Representative

Korea's Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on July 5 (local time) in Washington D.C. as the tariff moratorium nears its end to discuss mutually beneficial cooperation measures in the manufacturing sector and exchanged views on key agendas. date2025-07-07

Korea and China Hold 3rd Supply Chain Hotline Meeting

Director General for International Trade Relations Kim Jong-chul at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea and Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs Wang Liping at the Ministry of Commerce of China led their respective delegations in the third Korea-China supply chain hotline meeting today in Seoul. date2025-07-03

FDI Arrivals to Korea Rise 2.7% in H1 2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that foreign direct investments (FDIs) pledged to Korea in the first half of 2025 (Jan-Jun, acc.) decreased 14.6 percent year-on-year to USD 13.1 billion, while FDIs that actually arrived in Korea over the same period rose 2.7 percent to $7.3 billion. By type, greenfield and M&A investment pledges declined 4.5 percent and 44.6 percent to $11.0 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. In contrast, greenfield and M&A investment arrivals rose 4.4 percent and 0.2 percent to $4.5 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, as investments expanded for service businesses like datacenters and hypermarkets. By region, FDI pledges flowing in from the EU increased 14.5 percent to $2.2 billion. Those from the U.S. rose 20.2 percent to $3.1 billion, led by the retail and service sector. Meanwhile, pledges from Japan (down 25.4 percent to $2.2 billion) and China (down 39.0 percent to $1.8 billion) dropped. By industry, FDI pledges for the manufacturing sector fell 34.5 percent to $5.3 billion as categories like electrical and electronics (down 61.6 percent to $1.4 billion) and machinery and precision medical devices (down 77.0 percent to $0.3 billion) were affected by global trade uncertainties and a reduction in domestic facility investments. The service sector saw pledges rise 10.6 percent to $7.1 billion, led by categories like retail (up 73.3 percent to $1.3 billion) and information and communications (up 9.4 percent to $1.1 billion).   date2025-07-03

Korea and China Hold 3rd Supply Chain Hotline Meeting

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) and China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM, Minister Wang Wentao) held the third Korea–China Supply Chain Hotline meeting in Seoul on July 3, 2025. The meeting was led by Kim Jong-chul, Director General for International Trade Relations at MOTIE, and Wang Liping, Director General for Asian Affairs at MOFCOM. Launched in 2023, the Korea-China Supply Chain Hotline is a consultative channel established to support cooperation on bilateral supply chain stability. Through previous hotline meetings, the two sides focused on stabilizing the bilateral supply chain. In today’s third meeting, the Korean side requested China’s attention and cooperation in facilitating Korean businesses’ imports of critical items from China. The two sides also discussed measures to foster a predictable business environment for Korean companies, including the Chinese government’s policy briefings in the second half of 2025. date2025-07-03