Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the 2026 G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the United States, on September 2 (local time) as head of the Korean delegation.

The United States, which holds this year’s G20 presidency, hosted the meeting, where industry and innovation ministers from G20 members discussed three topics: (1) Intellectual Property Policies for Artificial Intelligence; (2) AI for Standards and Standards for AI; and (3) Industrial Innovation and Investment in Supply Chains.

The morning session, Intellectual Property Policies for Artificial Intelligence, focused on balancing AI innovation with intellectual property (IP) protection and on how patent and copyright systems should evolve as AI use expands. Minister Kim emphasized that as AI rapidly transforms research and development, creation, and innovation, IP systems should evolve so that IP rights and AI innovation reinforce each other.

On patents, Minister Kim noted that broader use of AI is expanding opportunities to participate in innovation and that a reliable patent system should support this trend. On copyright, he shared Korea’s experience with the fair use principle and guidelines for AI training, emphasizing the importance of respecting creators’ legitimate rights while providing a predictable environment for AI innovation.

The afternoon session covered standards for industrial AI use, as well as supply chain resilience and diversification.

On AI standards, Minister Kim stressed that standards should reflect industry needs and experience in AI application. He also described Korea’s experience in working with industry to support the identification and development of relevant AI standards in key sectors, including autonomous manufacturing, AI-enabled future vehicles, and robotics. 

He further stressed the importance of international cooperation to improve interoperability and reliability between technologies and systems as AI technologies and services spread across borders. Based on Korea’s experience actively participating in AI standardization discussions at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), he said Korea will continue to contribute to international standards that support AI innovation and adoption in global markets.

On supply chains, Minister Kim emphasized that AI and manufacturing innovation can help make global supply chains more resilient as those chains become more complex.

Minister Kim also shared Korea’s experience with Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX), explaining that expanding AI use across key manufacturing industries and applying it to production planning, demand forecasting, and supply chain management can improve companies’ capacity to respond to changes and make supply chains more efficient and flexible. He emphasized that beyond improving productivity at individual companies, these efforts could strengthen crisis response across global production networks and create new opportunities for cooperation.

Minister Kim stressed that stronger supply chain resilience requires diversified sourcing, closer links among countries’ industrial strengths, and broader trust-based partnerships in critical resources, materials, and components. He also proposed that the G20 play an important role in building open and complementary global supply chains by drawing on the industrial capabilities of its members.

“For AI innovation to strengthen industrial competitiveness, advances in technology must go hand in hand with progress in intellectual property systems, standards, and resilient supply chains,” said Minister Kim. “Korea will continue to actively cooperate with G20 members, drawing on practical experience gained across industry.”