Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced that Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim delivered a keynote speech at the “CEO Forum for Mid-Sized Enterprises” hosted by the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK, Chairman Choi Jin-shik) on Monday, November 3, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. The event was attended by around 100 CEOs from Korea’s mid-sized enterprises.

In his speech, titled “The New Age of Exploration,” Minister Kim stated, “Just as the invention of the compass in the 15th century ushered in the Age of Exploration and reshaped global wealth and power, Korean companies must now seize a new compass—artificial intelligence (AI)—to chart new routes in the global market.” He emphasized that mid-sized enterprises, the backbone of the Korean economy and industry, must play an active role in the industrial AI transformation. In response, the mid-sized enterprise community agreed that accelerating industrial AI adoption is essential for business survival and growth.

Representatives from mid-sized enterprises also highlighted challenges in responding to rapid changes such as AI transformation, the green transition, and supply chain realignments driven by recent tariff measures. They requested stronger policy support across global expansion, technology development, finance, taxation, human resources, and regulatory reform.

Minister Kim affirmed that the government will work closely with relevant ministries to provide comprehensive support to help mid-sized enterprises grow into larger, globally competitive companies.