Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister for Trade Park Jung-sung of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and Second Vice Minister Kim Jina of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, Minister Cho Hyun) attended the 37th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting (AMM), held via videoconference on November 3, 2026, under China’s chairmanship. Foreign and trade ministers from APEC economies discussed ways to advance cooperation in two sessions: “Work Towards an Asia-Pacific Community,” attended by MOFA, and “Empower New Development of Economic Integration in the Region,” attended by MOTIR.

In the second session, Minister Park outlined three priorities for advancing economic integration in the Asia-Pacific: taking a practical approach that considers regional economies’ circumstances and cooperation needs; using AI as a new driver of regional economic integration; and pursuing integration that focuses on tangible benefits for businesses.
Minister Park first emphasized the need to expand and deepen free trade agreements (FTAs) in the dynamic and diverse Asia-Pacific region while making greater use of open plurilateralism. Under this approach, economies willing and able to participate take the lead in cooperating on areas of common interest, while keeping participation open to more economies. He explained that this approach would allow economies to respond flexibly to diverse cooperation needs and extend concrete results of cooperation across a wider region.

He also proposed making active use of AI as a new driver of regional economic integration. Minister Park expressed hope that the APEC AI Initiative, adopted at the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, would deliver tangible results in deepening regional AI cooperation. The initiative’s importance was reaffirmed at the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in May 2026. In particular, he emphasized that AI could make customs clearance more efficient and predictable and reduce burdens on businesses by improving interoperability between customs systems, streamlining trade procedures, and facilitating information exchange. He added that Korea would work with APEC economies to ensure that AI-driven technological innovation contributes to expanding regional trade and investment.

Finally, Minister Park emphasized the need for regional economic integration that delivers tangible benefits for businesses. He explained that investment connects capital, talent, technology, and industrial ecosystems, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation to create a transparent and predictable investment environment, reduce unnecessary barriers to investment, and streamline procedures. In this context, he supported implementation of the APEC Investment Facilitation Action Plan (IFAP) to improve the regional investment environment.

He also proposed promptly sharing the information businesses need and strengthening communication and cooperation among economies during crises to respond effectively to global supply chain disruptions. This is consistent with Korea’s proposals at the 2025 AMM in Gyeongju and the MRT Meeting in May 2026 to share supply chain information promptly through an early warning system. MOTIR plans to continue discussions with APEC economies on regional supply chain cooperation.
Building on the discussions at this ministerial meeting, MOTIR plans to continue working with APEC economies to help achieve concrete results for expanding regional trade and investment at the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 18–19, 2026.