Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced the 2026–2030 Basic Plan for Strengthening the Materials, Parts, and Equipment (MPE) Industry, outlining strategies to enhance innovation, market, and ecosystem capabilities to drive a new phase of growth and global competitiveness.

The new plan builds on progress made since the 2019 Japanese export restrictions, which led to the first MPE Basic Plan (2020–2025) and accelerated Korea’s technological independence in key sectors. The revised plan aims to support advanced industries and strengthen economic security in an era of intensifying global competition, while responding to emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence (AI) and carbon neutrality.

MOTIR will designate ten additional MPE Specialized Clusters by 2030 to expand Korea’s core manufacturing bases and foster cooperation between demand and supply companies. It will also launch 15 Super Eul Projects to develop world-leading technologies and five AI New Materials Projects to create materials for extreme environments using artificial intelligence.

The government will promote collaboration in technology, production, and procurement across the value chain and advance ten ecosystem-based cooperation models to secure next-generation supply chains. Three new industry collaboration projects will receive KRW 35 billion in joint R&D and policy support over five years.

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim emphasized that the government will “reinforce the sector’s fundamental competitiveness through challenge, innovation, and speed,” adding that it will “expand fiscal, fund-based, and policy support while actively pursuing supply chain stabilization.”