Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Park Jung-sung, Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), met with Maria Tripodi, Italy’s Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on February 11, 2026, at the Seoul Government Complex to discuss follow-up measures to implement the outcomes of the Korea–Italy summit held on January 19, 2026.

The two sides shared the view that a sustainable business platform is needed to deepen collaboration between private sectors, along with improved investment conditions to facilitate market entry. They also exchanged views on priority areas and timelines for stepping up cooperation in advanced industries, including semiconductors and AI.

They discussed cooperation for joint engagement in third countries, including Africa, to strengthen critical mineral supply chains. The two sides agreed to keep communication channels open and to regularly review progress in implementing the summit outcomes, further solidifying their strategic partnership in trade and industry.

Deputy Minister Park noted that “the meeting marked an important step toward implementing the outcomes of Italy’s first head-of-state visit to Korea in 19 years.” He added that “the Italian government has indicated that it will review its newly introduced tax credit scheme to ensure that partner countries, including Korea, are not excluded,” expressing his hope that the matter would be resolved promptly. He also asked for Italy’s active cooperation to ease uncertainty for Korean companies entering the Italian market and to help joint initiatives on future industries highlighted at the summit deliver tangible results.