Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

MOTIR Minister Chairs Team Korea Review of Czech Nuclear Power Project

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) chaired a meeting at Government Complex Seoul on Thursday, November 12, to review Team Korea’s progress on the Czech nuclear power project. The minister examined Team Korea’s plans to meet two key milestones for the Dukovany project: submitting a construction permit application in April 2027 and starting construction in November 2029. Participants also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation among Team Korea members. The meeting formed part of the emergency management system introduced in November 2026 and led by the MOTIR minister and vice minister. The November 2 meeting, chaired by the vice minister, focused on the implementation plans of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). The November 12 review covered progress across Team Korea. All state-owned Team Korea companies participating in the project attended, including KHNP, KEPCO Engineering & Construction (KEPCO E&C), KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, and KEPCO KPS. The companies confirmed that they had continued to advance the Dukovany project by fulfilling their respective responsibilities over the 16 months since the project contract was signed in June 2025. Participants also closely reviewed schedules and plans for meeting major milestones on time, including applications for permits and licenses in the Czech Republic. Following the end of negotiations on the construction contract on October 29, the participating companies pledged to work with the government to respond swiftly and effectively to the crisis and further strengthen confidence in the Korean nuclear industry’s ability to deliver “On Time, On Budget.” They also reaffirmed their commitment to renewing the “Team Korea spirit” and rallying around their shared goal. During the meeting, KHNP presented detailed action plans that identified essential follow-up measures after the negotiations ended and set out how to track progress. The plans covered three areas: work during the transition to a new construction contractor, selection of the new contractor, and steps to meet key milestones. The transition work includes preparations for the April 2027 construction permit application. KHNP divided the work into design and permitting, verification of site information, and securing land for accommodation. Within each area, it identified tasks it could perform directly, tasks that could be undertaken by Czech companies already under contract with KHNP, and tasks requiring new contracts. KHNP drew up weekly plans for each task so it could proceed quickly and maintain continuity during the transition. KHNP set July 2027 as the target for selecting a new construction contractor. It aims to complete the selection in less time than a standard open competitive tender would take, using a contract award system based on a comprehensive evaluation of bids under the Act on Contracts to Which the State Is a Party. This approach will help verify bidders’ ability to carry out the work and ensure a transparent and fair selection process. KHNP will form a dedicated joint task force with KEPCO E&C, draw on the 2023 bidding documents for Shin-Hanul Units 3 and 4, and hold preliminary briefings to explain bidding requirements in detail. “To preserve trust and cooperation within Team Korea and further enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s nuclear industry, the government will step up its oversight so that state-owned nuclear companies take greater responsibility and demonstrate stronger leadership,” Minister Kim said. “Through this meeting, we will seek solutions to current challenges by having the companies share their experience of entering a new market with a new reactor design and by examining how the government can provide administrative and diplomatic support.” He added, “We will maintain close communication with the Czech government throug date2026-11-12

Gwangju Illuminates the Path to Manufacturing AI Transformation

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), together with Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (Mayor Min Hyung-bae) and other partners, held the fourth regional conference on expanding manufacturing AI transformation (M.AX) on November 11, 2026. Held in Gwangju, the conference aimed to accelerate M.AX among local manufacturers and encourage their participation in key M.AX programs for 2027. Progress of the Regional M.AX Conferences Manufacturing AI transformation has become essential to the survival of Korean manufacturers. However, no company or institution can undertake this transformation on its own. For this reason, MOTIR launched the M.AX Alliance in September 2025, bringing together more than 1,000 manufacturers, AI companies, universities, research institutions, and other organizations in a partnership spanning industry, academia, research, and government. The M.AX Alliance has been laying the groundwork for wider AI transformation in manufacturing, primarily through its subcommittees on AI factories, AI semiconductors, AI robots, and AI shipbuilding. It is rolling out AI factories nationwide to improve productivity by integrating AI into manufacturing processes, with 245 factories included in the rollout as of the end of October 2026. The Alliance is also accelerating the development of AI robots tailored to specific industries through initiatives such as on-site AI robot trials underway at more than 30 manufacturing sites. An analysis of 38 successful AI factory projects found gains, including a 30.1 percent increase in productivity and a 15.5 percent reduction in defect rates. However, many regional manufacturers, including small and medium-sized enterprises and middle-market companies, struggle to determine how to prepare for AI transformation and where to begin. To address these challenges, MOTIR has held regional M.AX conferences in major cities across the country, starting with the first conference in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, on September 11, 2026. The first three conferences provided an overview of M.AX and its key policies and programs, while consultations with AI companies and specialist consultants helped manufacturers identify approaches to AI transformation suited to their individual needs. Through these conferences, MOTIR seeks to help more manufacturers across the country build on these results. Fourth Regional M.AX Conference Jeonnam-Gwangju, where major industries such as automobiles and shipbuilding are clustered, has both a strong need for manufacturing AI transformation and considerable potential for it. In particular, companies across the automotive value chain, from vehicle manufacturers to suppliers, are concentrated around the Gwangju High-tech Science and Industrial Complex. This concentration makes it easier for companies with similar production processes to adopt AI technologies that have proved effective at another company. At the conference, ALPS Electric Korea and Woosung Precision each presented their experience with AI transformation and their future plans. Participants showed particular interest in ALPS Electric Korea’s project, one of the 38 successful AI factory projects reviewed. The company is using AI-powered machine vision, robot simulation, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to automate quality inspection, painting, and material transport. “We plan to enhance our AI inspection and autonomous transport technologies and expand their use to establish an autonomous manufacturing system for automotive electronics production,” an ALPS Electric Korea representative said. Woosung Precision is introducing AI to detect tool anomalies and analyze productivity in mold manufacturing processes that have relied on skilled workers’ experience. It is also deploying automated systems that can run unattended. “We are developing an AI factory that improves both productivity and quality by turni date2026-11-12

Seminar Series Helps Build Understanding of the CPTPP

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) announced that the first seminar in the “Understanding the CPTPP” series took place at Lee & Ko on November 11, 2026. The series is jointly hosted by the Korean Society of International Economic Law and Lee & Ko’s Global Commerce Institute. The series aims to help participants better understand the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). International law experts will explain the agreement’s provisions by topic. At the first seminar, titled “General Provisions of the CPTPP,” experts gave presentations on Initial Provisions and General Definitions (Chapter 1), Dispute Settlement (Chapter 28), and Exceptions and General Provisions (Chapter 29), followed by a question-and-answer session with participants. The series runs for eight sessions on Wednesdays from November 11, 2026, through January 6, 2027, with no session on December 23. The second session will address digital trade, labor, and the environment; the third, market access for goods and rules of origin; the fourth, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures; the fifth, state-owned enterprises, government procurement, and intellectual property rights; the sixth, services, investment, and finance; and the seventh, administration of the agreement. The seminars will be held both online and in person. Prospective participants can register in advance. The full schedule and registration instructions are available on the government’s free trade agreement (FTA) website (fta.motir.go.kr) and the Lee & Ko website (www.leeko.com). MOTIR plans to continue explaining the key provisions of trade agreements in clear, accessible language. date2026-11-12

Riding the Korean Wave, K-Consumer Goods Target Oceania

The Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo (KBEE) 2026 was held in Melbourne, Australia, to translate the global popularity of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) into exports of consumer goods, such as K-food and K-beauty products, and take economic and cultural cooperation between Korea and Australia to the next level. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA, Minister Song Mi-ryung) co-hosted KBEE 2026 Melbourne and the Australia K-Food Fair with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, President Kang Kyung-sung) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT, Acting President Kim Chang-guk). The three-day events were held from November 5 to November 7, 2026, at Melbourne Showgrounds in Australia. First held in 2010, KBEE reached its 28th edition this year, taking place in Oceania for the first time. The expo is a flagship export marketing program that combines Korean cultural events with export consultation meetings to help Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and middle-market companies enter overseas markets. K-pop group WINNER served as honorary ambassadors, while Australian dance crew AG Squad, runners-up in a dance competition show on Korean music channel Mnet, gave a special performance at the opening ceremony, drawing an enthusiastic response from local visitors. Australia and Korea are key economic partners marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Australia is Korea’s largest trading partner in Oceania and its sixth-largest overall, with bilateral trade totaling USD 46.3 billion in 2025. The two countries have built a complementary relationship by combining Australia’s abundant energy and mineral resources with Korea’s manufacturing capabilities and advanced technologies. Australia is also a high-income consumer market, with nominal GDP per capita of USD 66,000 in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Demand for consumer goods, including health and wellness products and cosmetics, has recently increased in this market. Combined with this demand, the spread of the Korean Wave has significantly improved perceptions of Korean products, boosting Korean cosmetics exports to Australia. The business-to-business (B2B) export consultation meetings brought together 101 Korean companies offering food, cosmetics, household goods, and fashion products and 144 buyer companies from Oceania and Southeast Asia. Participants held 1,235 meetings and signed a total of 32 export contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth a combined USD 18 million. The business-to-consumer (B2C) exhibition and sales event drew around 10,000 visitors, including representatives of local businesses and consumers. In particular, Korean online and offline retail platforms, along with cross-border e-commerce platforms, set up individual booths that featured popular products and content, highlighting the Korean Wave and the “Made in Korea” label. They also ran a diverse range of interactive marketing activities featuring K-food, K-beauty, K-fashion, and more. On the sidelines of KBEE 2026 Melbourne, MOTIR held a roundtable with Korean companies operating in Australia, including GS E&C, Amorepacific, Hanwha Aerospace, and Samsung C&T, received feedback on their on-the-ground challenges, and explored practical support measures. “With USD 1 trillion in exports now within sight, identifying new drivers of export growth is a top priority,” said Na Sung-hwa, Director General for International Trade Policy at MOTIR. “Loved around the world, the Korean Wave serves as both a strong competitive edge and a powerful asset for K-consumer goods companies. We will actively support them in turning the influence of Korean culture into tangible export results so that Korean consumer goods can grow into a new mainstay of our exp date2026-11-09

MOTIR Minister Visits China’s Shandong to Open New Sales Channels for Korean Consumer Goods

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) attended the ninth Korea–China (Shandong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange in Yantai, Shandong Province, China, on November 6, 2026. The event was co-hosted by MOTIR and the Shandong Provincial Government. Shandong ranks third by gross regional domestic product (GRDP) and second by population among China’s 31 provincial-level regions. Trade between Korea and Shandong reached USD 38.9 billion in 2025. In particular, 8,763 Korean companies have established operations in Shandong to date. This is the highest total among Chinese regions and represents around 30 percent of all Korean companies that have entered China. These conditions make Shandong an ideal base for expanding the presence of Korean consumer goods in the Chinese market. The exchange brought together around 300 participants, including government officials and business representatives from both sides. Discussions covered cooperation in consumer goods, biotechnology, green development industries, and other areas. In his opening remarks, Minister Kim said, “Korea and Shandong should build on the foundation of cooperation established over the years to further expand cooperation in consumer goods and emerging industries. We will actively support exchanges between businesses on both sides so that they lead to tangible results in trade and investment.” During the exchange, institutions and associations from both sides signed three memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to cooperate on certification and global market expansion, among other areas. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) also signed a cooperation MOU with anchor company Atomy to help small and medium-sized Korean cosmetics companies enter the Chinese market. A business matching event for Korean consumer goods was also held alongside the exchange to help Korean companies achieve concrete business results. At the business matching event, 28 promising Korean consumer goods companies held more than 200 export consultations with distributors and regional buyers in China. The consultations led to three export agreements covering products such as Kwangcheonkim seaweed and microbiome-based health foods. They also led to an additional 18 cooperation MOUs between Korean and Chinese companies and institutions. date2026-11-06

Green Economy Partnership Agreement (GEPA) Partners Welcome Significant Progress

1. The Senior Officials of the Green Economy Partnership Agreement (GEPA) partners – New Zealand, Republic of Korea and Singapore – met in the lead up to the APEC Economic Leaders Week (AELW), on 5 November 2026 to mark the significant progress of negotiations and discuss the key emerging features of the initiative. 2. Green transition considerations are increasingly shaping the way economies produce and trade. Businesses are navigating new sustainability requirements across different markets and increasing numbers of trade related climate measures. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging in environmental attribute certificates, environmental goods, and low-emission products. These developments are closely interconnected and shape green trade value chains and investment flows. 3. Designed as an open and living green trade instrument, GEPA provides an opportunity for partners to help shape emerging rules and practices, reduce regulatory fragmentation and promote greater interoperability as the global green economy develops. This will provide businesses with greater policy certainty to seize new opportunities in the global green economy, while enhancing the GEPA partners’ ability to work together to pursue environmental sustainability goals.   Significant Progress of GEPA Negotiations 4. Following the launch of GEPA negotiations in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea on 31 October 2025, the GEPA partners have worked constructively and intensively through in-person negotiating rounds and virtual intersessional meetings. These ongoing discussions are yielding significant progress, including the development of innovative approaches to emerging issues at the nexus of trade and environmental sustainability. These include: (i) Trade-related climate measures (TrCMs). Developing the world’s first TrCMs module with principles to guide the design of TrCMs and where relevant, their monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, giving businesses greater certainty to navigate emerging TrCMs across markets and enabling GEPA partners to work collaboratively to address any undue trade impacts arising from such measures and ensure environmental sustainability goals are met; (ii) Trade in Environmental and Low-Emissions Goods. Enhancing trade in environmental and low emissions goods, including by identifying environmental goods and low emissions goods in hard-to-abate sectors for example low-carbon steel, advancing shared recognition of relevant standards, definitions and certification processes, and exploring appropriate approaches to incentivise their wider adoption and accelerate decarbonisation; (iii) Trade in Environmental Attributes. Exploring new opportunities for trading of environmental attributes and, where appropriate, developing these markets in partnership with industry to support credible supply and demand for high-integrity attributes, and thereby encourage investment to achieve positive environmental outcomes; (iv) Sustainability Reporting. Helping businesses operate across markets by promoting greater coherence in the international sustainability reporting landscape; (v) Aviation. Supporting the decarbonisation and energy resilience of the aviation sector, including through efforts to improve the acceptability, affordability and accessibility of sustainable aviation fuels;  (vi) Buildings and Construction. Advancing sustainable building and construction through enhanced cooperation on materials and technologies, construction methods including prefabrication and off-site construction, building performance, knowledge transfer, and construction standards; and (vii) Food Systems. Strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation on scientific, technological, emissions measurement, regulatory, and policy approaches to support the sustainability, productivity and resilience of food systems. 5. Beyond establishing rules and framework date2026-11-05

MOTIR Emphasizes Practical Cooperation and a Business-Friendly Trading Environment at APEC Ministerial Meeting

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. date2026-11-05

Korea Launches AI Agent Project to Modernize Military Logistics

The Ministry of National Defense (MND, Minister Kang Shin-chul) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) jointly held a kickoff meeting for the RAM-C AI Agent R&D project at the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) on November 4, 2026. Around 100 participants attended, including representatives from the lead R&D organization, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ). The two ministries will jointly carry out the 48-month RAM-C AI Agent R&D project, which has a total budget of KRW 30 billion. It is designed to accelerate the digital transformation of military logistics and maximize weapon system availability and operational efficiency. The project aims to develop technology for collecting, managing, and analyzing data generated throughout a weapon system’s life cycle by combining infrastructure that integrates military logistics data, intelligent models that analyze reliability, availability, maintainability, and cost (RAM-C), and intelligent decision support tools that draw on the combined analysis. Once deployed in the field, a system powered by the RAM-C AI agent will allow military users to analyze life-cycle costs and efficiency by mission type and determine the best operating and maintenance policies in a timely manner. To maximize the technology’s effectiveness, MND plans to rigorously assess its suitability for operational use by testing it on representative weapon systems currently in service across the land, maritime, and air domains, including the K2 main battle tank, Maritime Surveillance Radar-II, and FA-50 fighter aircraft. Field testing will help correct errors and resolve discrepancies between the technology under development and actual field operations. This will make operational data more reliable and help set realistic RAM targets and estimate appropriate sustainment costs when developing future weapon systems. Drawing on analyses of weapon systems’ operating and support costs based on reliable data, MOTIR plans to work with MND to significantly strengthen Korea’s position in export negotiations for domestically produced weapon systems and bolster confidence in follow-on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. The project will also conduct an integrated analysis covering demand forecasts for spare parts, parts inventory management, and cost estimates across the weapon system life cycle. The results are expected to lay the groundwork for collaboration with Korean materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) companies to proactively manage parts obsolescence and plan the development of domestic alternatives. MND and MOTIR will continue to work closely with KAI, the lead R&D organization, and with partners across industry, academia, research institutes, and the military to ensure the project’s success. date2026-11-05