Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim) announced that the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) signed an agreement on August 31, 2026, to transfer the responsibilities for the Industrial and Trade Cooperation Development Support Program (Industrial Official Development Assistance, or Industrial ODA). Under this agreement, KOTRA will begin managing Industrial ODA from September 1, 2026.

This transfer of responsibilities is intended to advance Industrial ODA as a mutually beneficial model that supports economic growth in emerging economies and helps Korean companies to facilitate their business activities in overseas markets. Since the launch of Industrial ODA in 2012, KIAT has successfully established the program and built up management expertise. KOTRA will draw on these achievements and leverage its own overseas trade offices as strategic bases to significantly strengthen on-the-ground project implementation and support Korean companies’ business engagement in overseas markets. 

KOTRA expects to strengthen links and create synergy effects among ODA programs by managing Industrial ODA alongside the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) and the Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP) led by the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE). MOTIR also expects ODA to serve as a catalyst for Korean companies to explore emerging markets and to further strengthen supply chain cooperation with resource-rich countries.

“The transfer of the program to KOTRA is more than a change in the managing agency. It represents a clear policy shift toward advancing national interests and business activities. We look forward to seeing KOTRA develop a new model of ODA,” said Bae Jun-hyoung, Director General for International Trade Relations at MOTIR.