Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Korea and ASEAN will hold the first official round of negotiations to upgrade their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Seoul from June 8 to 12, 2026, as they seek to adapt the agreement to shifts in the trade environment, including supply chain realignment and digital transformation.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) said delegations from both sides will attend the talks, with Park Geun-oh, Director General for Trade Agreement Policy at MOTIR, and Alpana Roy, Director-General at Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, serving as the chief negotiators for Korea and ASEAN, respectively.

Following their October 2025 agreement at the Korea–ASEAN Summit to launch the upgrade negotiations, the two sides confirmed the 2026 work plan at the first Joint Committee meeting in April 2026 and agreed to move the talks forward without delay.

The first official round will cover 13 areas, including digital trade, critical minerals, and supply chains. The two sides will also hold the second Korea–ASEAN FTA Joint Committee meeting to review progress across the negotiating areas and, if necessary, discuss the direction of negotiations on key issues at the committee level.

“This first official round marks the full launch of negotiations to upgrade the Korea–ASEAN FTA,” said Director General Park. “Korea will engage actively in the talks to achieve meaningful progress in areas tied to the future competitiveness of Korean companies, including digital trade, critical minerals, and supply chains.”