Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Eco-Friendly Vehicle Exports Set Monthly Records for Third Consecutive Month in June

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that electric vehicle exports, including hydrogen vehicles, reached $780 million in June – an increase of 11.2 percent year-on-year, marking the first return to growth in 16 months since January 2024. Signaling a positive turnaround in EV exports, total exports of eco-friendly vehicles rose 18.6 percent from a year earlier to $2.2 billion, setting a new monthly record for the third consecutive month. Overall automobile exports also rebounded in June after two months of decline, reaching $6.34 billion (up 2.3 percent year-on-year), the highest export value ever recorded for the month of June. By model, GM Korea’s Trax (28,797 units) and Trailblazer (15,747 units) continued to show strong export performance, ranking first and fifth, respectively. Hyundai’s Kona (21,399 units) and Palisade (15,947 units) also performed well, ranking second and fourth, respectively, underscoring the sustained strength of SUV exports. Electric vehicle exports also contributed to the rebound, with approximately 22,000 units exported – a 21.4 percent increase year-on-year - including 7,903 units of the EV3 and 3,938 units of the Casper EV. By region, exports to the U.S. declined by 16.0 percent year-on-year to $2.69 billion. In contrast, exports to the European Union rose for the third consecutive month. Notably, exports to Germany surged to $150 million (up 137.8 percent), and to the Netherlands to $90 million (up 89.8 percent), driven by a combination of factors including a low base effect from last year’s weak performance, robust EV export growth, and the establishment of KG Mobility’s European sales subsidiary in Germany in August 2024. Exports of automobile parts rose to $1.8 billion in June, marking a 2.5 percent year-on-year increase. Growth was observed in key markets such as the U.S. (up 6.3 percent to $680 million) and the Czech Republic (up 4.9 percent to $70 million), where Korean automakers operate local manufacturing plants. Significant growth was also recorded in emerging markets such as Kazakhstan (up 208 percent to $40 million), driven by strong demand for aftermarket parts. Domestic automobile sales in June 2025 increased for the fifth consecutive month, reaching 146,000 units - up 5.8 percent year-on-year. Of this total, sales of domestically produced vehicles rose to 117,000 units (up 6.2 percent), while imported vehicle sales reached 29,000 units (up 4.0 percent). Sales of eco-friendly vehicles maintained their upward trajectory for the 16th consecutive month, accounting for nearly half (49.8 percent) of total domestic sales. Notably, domestic EV sales exceeded 20,000 units for the second month in a row, following their recovery to the 20,000-unit mark in May— the first time in 14 months since March 2024. Automobile production in June 2025 remained largely unchanged from the same period last year, recording a slight decline of 0.1 percent. This was due to increased domestic sales of domestically produced vehicles (up 4.8 percent) being offset by a decrease in exports (down 3.1 percent). Notably, pickup truck production surged to 23,000 units – an 853 percent increase - driven by the launch of new models such as Hyundai’s Tasman and KGM’s Musso EV. This led to substantial growth in both domestic sales (up 131 percent) and exports (up 850 percent). In the first half of 2025, Korea’s automobile industry recorded a 3.8 percent year-on-year decline in exports, totaling 1.41 million units. This decrease was primarily attributed to increased overseas production by Korean automakers and a base effect following strong performance in the previous year. However, the decline in overall production was relatively moderate, falling by 1.6 percent to 2.11 million units, supported by a 3.5 percent increase in domestic sales, which reached 830,000 units. Growth in the domestic date2025-07-18

FICs and Domestic Research Institutions Partner for R&D and Technology Sharing

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) hosted a technology exchange at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul on July 15, 2025. The event brought together foreign-invested companies (FICs) and domestic public research institutions to foster Korea’s innovation ecosystem by leveraging the R&D capabilities of global FICs. of the exchange involved 10 FICs and 15 domestic research institutions and was first proposed by FICs during the Global Foreign Investment Company and Public Institution Roundtable in May 2025 as a way to build an R&D cooperation system through technology exchanges with leading researches at public institutions. At the event, participants took stock of technological progress in advanced industries, shared recent development trends, and explored future collaboration opportunities. MOTIE is pursuing supportive policies, such as expanding cash incentives for FIC-exclusive R&D projects and improving regulations, to attract investments in a major global business R&D center. The center would facilitate continued investment by FICs’ parent companies and the transfer of leading technologies currently unavailable in Korea.  At today’s exchange, FICs and public institutions shared technologies, held one-on-one consultations to identify potential joint projects, and discussed tangible cooperative measures. Director General for Investment Policy Ryu Peob-min stated that the ministry plans to launch joint programs involving public research institutions to support the establishment of a global R&D center for FICs with leading technologies, while expanding exclusive FIC-only R&D initiatives to promote the active participation of global corporations. date2025-07-15

Korea’s ICT exports rise 5.8% in H1 2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced today that Korea’s exports and imports of information and communications technology (ICT) goods for the first half (H1) of 2025 gained 5.8 percent and 5.0 percent year-on-year to USD 115.2 billion and $70.9 billion, respectively. The trade balance recorded a surplus of $44.2 billion. In H1 2025, ICT exports maintained an upward trajectory for five consecutive months as a result of increasing demand for AI datacenters, achieving the second highest export value for H1.  By category, exports of semiconductors (up 11.4 percent), mobile phones (up 9.1 percent) and computers/peripherals (up 10.8 percent) rose, whereas those of displays (down 13.9 percent) and communication devices (down 2.5 percent) declined.  Semiconductor exports hit historic highs for H1 as fixed prices of key memory chips like DRAMs and NAND flash rebounded and high value-added chips such as HBMs and DDR5s retained strong performance. Mobile phone exports were driven by robust sales of top models and parts like camera modules.   Computers/peripherals also advanced, led by growing exports of datacenter solid-state drives (SSDs) in tandem with the expansion of AI servers.  Meanwhile, display exports shrank from the impact of adjusted downstream industry shipments and last year’s base effect. The drop in communication device exports is attributed to the global market slowdown as well as increased local production in Vietnam in an effort to secure cost competitiveness. By region, Korea’s H1 ICT exports grew to overseas markets like Taiwan (up 89.6 percent), the U.S. (up 14.5 percent), Vietnam (up 10.0 percent), India (up 9.3 percent), and Japan (up 5.7 percent). Those to China (including Hong Kong) (down 11.5 percent) and the EU (down 2.7 percent) contracted. As for H1 imports, categories like graphic cards (up 23.9 percent) and midrange and mainframe computers (up 36.9 percent) climbed sharply amid an expansion of AI infrastructure. ICT exports for June 2025 logged new highs for the month at $22.0 billion (up 4.7 percent), with semiconductor exports recording all-time monthly highs (up 11.5 percent to $15.0 billion).   date2025-07-14

MOTIE Hosts Policy Forum on Korea-India Cooperation in Advanced Industries

Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) jointly held a policy forum in Seoul on July 9, 2025, under the theme of “Digital Transformation and Korea-India Cooperation Strategy” to discuss future cooperation between the two countries in advanced industries. At the forum, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) Research Fellow Ro Yoon-jae delivered the first presentation on India’s digital public infrastructure strategy. He was followed by Wellmatix CEO Satyabrata Aich, who outlined the prospects for collaboration based on AI industry trends and best cooperative practices between the two countries. Both speakers underscored the need for a stronger Korea-India strategic partnership in these areas, highlighting that Korea’s advanced manufacturing technologies and India’s IT competitiveness and startups ecosystem are highly complementary. Representatives from HD Hyundai, Balance Hero, Medipixel, and other companies operating in India also attended the forum to share their experience in the local market and call for deeper intergovernmental policy cooperation. In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won stated that the economic cooperation between Korea and India has so far produced results mainly in manufacturing. He added that given structural issues such as the recent global, Korea and India should advance practical cooperation and identify new cooperative models in advanced digital industries. With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea-India special strategic partnership, MOTIE plans to expand policy communication with the Indian government and bolster cooperation in new industries. date2025-07-09

MOTIE Holds Energy Super Week Briefing for Foreign Embassies in Korea

On July 8, 2025, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) held a briefing for foreign embassies in Korea on the upcoming Energy Super Week (Aug. 25–29 2025) in Seoul. During the session, MOTIE outlined the event’s main programs and the newly elected administration’s energy policy directions, requesting the foreign embassies’ interest and support. The briefing was attended by 43 foreign embassies in Korea including those of Japan, the EU, the UK, and Vietnam. Four major events are lined up for Energy Super Week in Busan: the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting (Aug. 27–28 2025), 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (Aug. 25–27 2025), 10th Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial (Aug. 25–27 2025), and 2025 World Climate Industry EXPO (Aug. 27–29 2025). Energy ministers, government delegations, and business leaders of 40 member economies, as well as relevant international organizations, will gather at the events to discuss future energy outlooks and solutions. The APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will cover key agendas such as power grid infrastructure, energy security, stable power supply, and AI-powered energy innovation. At the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial and the 10th Mission Innovation Ministerial, participants will discuss energy efficiency, power transition, future fuels such as hydrogen, AI-enabled energy innovation, and carbon reduction technologies. In late August, MOTIE will co-host the 2025 World Climate Industry EXPO with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and World Bank (WB) under the theme of “Energy for AI & AI for Energy.” Featured speakers will include IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and WB Vice President Manuela Ferro. The program will consist of three major summits—the Global Leadership Summit, the Energy & AI Summit, and the Climate Summit—as well as 12 specialized conferences and side events, including recruitment sessions and business consultations. Visitors can also experience the latest and next-generation climate and energy technologies  at various booths set up by Samsung, LG, Doosan Enerbility, Hanwha Qcells, and other global companies. date2025-07-08

FDI Arrivals to Korea Rise 2.7% in H1 2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that foreign direct investments (FDIs) pledged to Korea in the first half of 2025 (Jan-Jun, acc.) decreased 14.6 percent year-on-year to USD 13.1 billion, while FDIs that actually arrived in Korea over the same period rose 2.7 percent to $7.3 billion. By type, greenfield and M&A investment pledges declined 4.5 percent and 44.6 percent to $11.0 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. In contrast, greenfield and M&A investment arrivals rose 4.4 percent and 0.2 percent to $4.5 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, as investments expanded for service businesses like datacenters and hypermarkets. By region, FDI pledges flowing in from the EU increased 14.5 percent to $2.2 billion. Those from the U.S. rose 20.2 percent to $3.1 billion, led by the retail and service sector. Meanwhile, pledges from Japan (down 25.4 percent to $2.2 billion) and China (down 39.0 percent to $1.8 billion) dropped. By industry, FDI pledges for the manufacturing sector fell 34.5 percent to $5.3 billion as categories like electrical and electronics (down 61.6 percent to $1.4 billion) and machinery and precision medical devices (down 77.0 percent to $0.3 billion) were affected by global trade uncertainties and a reduction in domestic facility investments. The service sector saw pledges rise 10.6 percent to $7.1 billion, led by categories like retail (up 73.3 percent to $1.3 billion) and information and communications (up 9.4 percent to $1.1 billion).   date2025-07-03

Korea and China Hold 3rd Supply Chain Hotline Meeting

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Ahn Duk-geun) and China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM, Minister Wang Wentao) held the third Korea–China Supply Chain Hotline meeting in Seoul on July 3, 2025. The meeting was led by Kim Jong-chul, Director General for International Trade Relations at MOTIE, and Wang Liping, Director General for Asian Affairs at MOFCOM. Launched in 2023, the Korea-China Supply Chain Hotline is a consultative channel established to support cooperation on bilateral supply chain stability. Through previous hotline meetings, the two sides focused on stabilizing the bilateral supply chain. In today’s third meeting, the Korean side requested China’s attention and cooperation in facilitating Korean businesses’ imports of critical items from China. The two sides also discussed measures to foster a predictable business environment for Korean companies, including the Chinese government’s policy briefings in the second half of 2025. date2025-07-03

Korea’s exports grow 4.3% in June

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that Korea’s exports and imports for the month of June 2025 advanced 4.3 percent and 3.3 percent year-on-year to USD 59.8 billion and $50.7 billion, respectively. The trade balance stood at a surplus of $9.1 billion. June exports and the daily average export value both hit all-time highs for the month, the latter increasing 6.8 percent to $2.9 billion when accounting for the number of working days (-0.5 compared to June 2024). By item, six out of 15 major items gained in exports. Semiconductors reached new highs at $15.0 billion (up 11.6 percent), maintaining the upward trajectory for the fourth consecutive month. Exports of computers and solid-state drives (SSDs) climbed 15.2 percent to $1.3 billion, expanding for the second straight month. Automobiles grew 2.3 percent to a fresh high of $6.3 billion for the month, as electric vehicles (EVs) enjoyed strong demand across the EU alongside robust growth of secondhand car exports (up 67.9 percent to $0.7 billion). This is the first time for Korea’s total automobile exports to enter the 6 billion thresholds for the fifth consecutive month. Bio-health hit record highs at $1.7 billion (up 36.5 percent) on the backs of biopharmaceuticals (up 54.0 percent to $1.1 billion). Ship exports surged 63.4 percent to $2.5 billion, advancing for the fourth consecutive month. Meanwhile, petroleum products (down 2.0 percent to $3.6 billion) and petrochemicals (down 15.5 percent to $3.4 billion) continued to slide in step with weak global oil prices. Aside from major items, agricultural and fishery products (up 7.7 percent to $1.0 billion), cosmetics (up 22.0 percent to $1.0 billion), and electrical equipment (up 14.8 percent to $1.6 billion) all logged unprecedented highs for the month of June. By region, exports to seven out of nine major destinations saw growth. Exports to the U.S. and China inched down 0.5 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, to $11.2 billion and $10.4 billion. To ASEAN, exports ended the monthly decline and rose 2.1 percent to $9.8 billion, driven by semiconductors, ships, and steel products. Exports to the EU (up 14.7 percent to $5.8 billion) posted growth for the fourth consecutive month, led by automobiles, car parts, ships, and petroleum products. India-bound exports improved 2.3 percent to $1.6 billion, a record high for the month. To CIS countries, exports soared 18.5 percent to $1.1 billion, increasing for the fourth consecutive month. Exports to Latin America (up 3.3 percent to $2.4 billion), Japan (up 3.0 percent to $2.5 billion), and the Middle East (up 14.8 percent to $1.9 billion) all resumed growth. In addition, exports to Taiwan jumped 31.0 percent to $4.3 billion, setting historic highs for June. As for imports, non-energy items hiked 7.9 percent to $42.2 billion, whereas energy imports declined 14.6 percent to $8.6 billion.  Korea’s exports for the first half of 2025 remained relatively flat year-on-year at $334.7 billion (down 0.03 percent) and the daily average export value, accounting for the number of working days, gained 2.3 percent to $2.6 billion. Imports contracted 1.6 percent to $306.9 billion and the trade balance netted a surplus of $27.8 billion (up $4.8 billion year-on-year). Five out of 15 major items led the increase during the first half, namely semiconductors (up 11.4 percent to $73.3 billion), wireless communication devices (up 8.5 percent to $7.5 billion), computers (up 12.6 percent to $5.9 billion), ships (up 18.8 percent to $13.9 billion), and bio-health (up 11.0 percent to $8.2 billion). Notably, semiconductors surpassed previous first-half highs, powered by solid demand for high value-added products like DDR5s and HBMs as well as the rebound in fixed prices of key memory chips.   date2025-07-01