Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

MOTIR and MAFRA Co-Host Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo and ASEAN K-Food Fair

Following the Korea-Vietnam summit in April 2026, an economic and cultural exchange event was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, to build on bilateral economic and cultural cooperation and connect global interest in K-content with exports of K-food, K-beauty, and other Korean consumer goods. 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 the 2026 Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo (KBEE 2026 Hanoi) and the ASEAN K-Food Fair with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, President Kang Kyung-sung) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT, President Hong Moon-pyo). The events were held from July 2 to 4, 2026, at the National Convention Center (NCC) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event combined the KBEE, which pairs Hallyu performances with hands-on experiences featuring Korean consumer goods to help Korean brands enter overseas markets and build awareness, with the K-Food Fair, which supports overseas expansion for Korean agri-food products. The joint format was designed to help Korean consumer goods and agri-food products enter ASEAN markets. Vietnam is a key ASEAN country and Korea’s third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade of USD 94.6 billion in 2025. Its consumer market is expanding quickly, supported by a population of 100 million and steady economic growth, while strong local interest in Hallyu has made it Korea’s fourth-largest consumer goods export market as of May 2026. Vietnam is also Korea’s largest investment destination in ASEAN, with more than 10,000 Korean companies operating in the country. More than 330,000 Vietnamese nationals live in Korea, reflecting active people-to-people exchanges, and recent reciprocal leader-level visits and other high-level exchanges have continued to expand cultural and economic cooperation. The fair brought together 107 Korean companies in food, cosmetics, household goods, and fashion, along with about 280 buyers from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian markets. A total of 1,512 business consultations were held, resulting in MOUs and contracts worth USD 33 million, more than double the $15 million recorded at the Hanoi Korean Wave Expo in 2022. To raise local consumer interest and demand for Korean products, the event featured K-pop performances by WINNER and FIFTY FIFTY, a K-lifestyle talk show, and K-beauty experience programs. The newly introduced Kids Zone, designed for Vietnam’s young population and large youth consumer base, drew a strong response from local families. Vietnam is Korea’s fourth-largest K-food export market and a key strategic market for Korean agri-food exports. In 2025, Korea’s K-food exports to Vietnam totaled about $570 million, accounting for around 5.5 percent of Korea’s total agri-food exports. Local consumer interest in and demand for K-food continue to grow, supported by rising exports of ramyeon, sauces, beverages, and fresh produce such as strawberries. The ASEAN K-Food Fair went beyond a product showcase, giving local consumers a firsthand experience of Korean food culture and lifestyle through open-kitchen tastings, kimchi-making sessions, and live chef shows. These hands-on programs offered visitors a sensory experience of the taste and culture of K-food. Among the priority K-food categories for ASEAN markets, spicy ramyeon and frozen cup-bap drew strong interest as street food items, while tteokbokki and ade-style beverages stood out among halal products. Visitors also responded well to the Food Tech Pavilion’s Hangang Ramyeon experience and to 45 products at the Global NEXT K-Food Pavilion, including 10-won coin bread and cream chapssaltteok, presented as potential hit products following K-ramyeon’s success. One Korean company participating in the event said, “The Korean Wave Expo will help raise awarene date2026-07-06

Korea’s FDI Notifications Rise 9.1% to $14.3 Billion in First Half of 2026

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Korea on a notification basis reached USD 14.3 billion in the first half of 2026, up 9.1 percent year-on-year. Actual inflows also increased 42.6 percent year-on-year to $10.7 billion. Despite continued downward pressure on global FDI, including from recent Middle East tensions, Korea recorded year-on-year gains in both investment notifications and actual inflows. The increase shows that notified projects are moving into implementation and that new investment continues to enter promising sectors such as semiconductors and displays, reflecting investor confidence in Korea’s advanced industry supply chains and innovation ecosystem. Investment Notification By type, greenfield investment notifications for new or expanded factories and business sites totaled $10.8 billion, down 1.5 percent year-on-year. The decline eased significantly from the first quarter of 2026, when greenfield investment notifications fell 19.8 percent to $3.7 billion amid an uncertain trade environment. M&A investment notifications, including corporate equity acquisitions and mergers, rose sharply by 64.3 percent to $3.5 billion. By industry, manufacturing investment notifications fell 28.4 percent year-on-year to $3.8 billion, led by decreases in chemicals, down 17.0 percent to $1.1 billion, and electrical and electronics, down 26.5 percent to $1.0 billion. In contrast, investment in machinery, equipment, and medical precision instruments rose 243.1 percent to $0.9 billion, driven by inflows into promising industries such as autonomous driving robots and healthcare. Investment in non-metallic mineral products, including displays, also increased 34.2 percent to $0.3 billion. Services investment notifications rose 27.9 percent year-on-year to $9.1 billion. Investment increased significantly in finance and insurance, up 47.9 percent to $3.7 billion, and real estate, up 98.8 percent to $1.6 billion. R&D and professional, scientific, and technical services also improved, rising 24.3 percent to $0.5 billion. By source country, investment notifications from major investors declined year-on-year, with investment from the United States down 2.5 percent to $3.1 billion, the European Union down 8.1 percent to $2.1 billion, Japan down 30.9 percent to $1.5 billion, and China down 18.6 percent to $1.5 billion. In contrast, investment notifications from other countries, including Singapore and the United Kingdom, rose 65.4 percent to $6.2 billion. Actual Inflows By type, greenfield investment inflows edged down 5.6 percent year-on-year to $4.5 billion, while M&A investment inflows rose 123.3 percent to $6.3 billion. By industry, actual inflows into manufacturing surged 205.2 percent year-on-year to $5.0 billion. Chemicals rose 916.3 percent to $4.1 billion, as capital for large-scale chemical projects continued to arrive steadily. Investment in non-metallic mineral products, including displays, also increased 223.2 percent to $0.3 billion. Actual inflows into services edged up 1.4 percent year-on-year to $5.6 billion. Finance and insurance rose 9.3 percent to $3.4 billion, and real estate increased 98.7 percent to $0.6 billion. In contrast, distribution fell 33.1 percent to $0.6 billion, while information and communications declined 48.4 percent to $0.4 billion. By source country, actual inflows from the United States fell 13.3 percent year-on-year to $1.3 billion. In contrast, the European Union posted a 106.1 percent increase to $4.3 billion, Japan a 56.5 percent increase to $0.6 billion, and China a 36.0 percent increase to $0.2 billion. Actual inflows from other countries also rose 26.4 percent to $4.3 billion. To sustain momentum from Korea’s record-high FDI in 2025, MOTIR will strengthen foreign investment incentives aligned with national industrial policies, including the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces initiative, and e date2026-07-03

Future M.AX Talents to Compete at RoboCup 2026

RoboCup 2026, the world’s largest robotics technology competition, will be held from July 2 to July 5, 2026, at Songdo Convensia in Incheon. Kim Sung-yeol, Deputy Minister for Industry and Growth at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), attended the opening ceremony, encouraged participating teams from Korea and abroad, and met with Korean undergraduate and graduate students competing in the event to discuss training future robotics talent. RoboCup 2026 Hosted by Incheon Metropolitan City and the International RoboCup Federation and sponsored by MOTIR, RoboCup 2026 — the 29th edition of the event — was held at its largest scale to date, with about 3,000 participants from 45 countries. Beyond robot soccer, the competition features robotics challenges in which robots perform tasks in disaster rescue, home service, manufacturing processes, and other areas. During the event, organizers will also hold the Humanoid Robot Challenge for Korean university teams, operate an exhibition featuring more than 40 robot manufacturers and component companies from Korea and abroad, and host an international symposium on robotics technology to share the latest trends in the global robotics industry. Humanoid Robot Challenge This year’s inaugural Humanoid Robot Challenge brings together 12 Korean university teams. Their humanoid robots will perform tasks designed for manufacturing and logistics settings, including sorting parts, transporting them, assembling components, and fastening wheels. The challenge will assess the potential use of humanoid robots in manufacturing by having them carry out tasks similar to those found at actual production sites. Roundtable with Young Robotics Talent Before the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Kim met with Korean undergraduate and graduate students competing in RoboCup 2026 to discuss training future robotics talent and supporting robotics research. The students called for stronger research infrastructure and more industry-academia R&D projects, and MOTIR presented its policy direction for developing robotics talent. First, MOTIR will establish Korea’s first specialized graduate school for humanoid robotics in the second half of 2026 to train master’s and doctoral-level experts. The school will be established under the Act on Special Measures for Strengthening the Competitiveness of, and Protecting National High-Tech Strategic Industries to train personnel in national high-tech strategic technologies. Selected universities will receive about KRW 3.0 billion per year for up to five years to build educational and research facilities, develop and operate curricula, and engage in industry-academia projects with companies.  Second, MOTIR will expand opportunities for universities and companies to conduct joint R&D and demonstration projects. The ministry will hold annual technology competitions, such as the Humanoid Robot Challenge, and, in the selection process for future national robotics R&D and demonstration projects, give additional points to universities that achieve strong results in the competition. This will support joint research with companies and other partners. Third, MOTIR will support the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), the world’s largest robotics conference, which will be held in Seoul in 2027. The ministry will also support related R&D so Korean academia and industry can present their research outcomes at ICRA. “RoboCup 2026 is a platform where robotics talent from around the world comes together to compete and exchange ideas. It is also an important opportunity to demonstrate Korea’s progress toward becoming a leading AI robotics powerhouse,” Deputy Minister Kim said. “The government will reflect the suggestions raised at today’s roundtable in policies that strengthen support for young tal date2026-07-02

MOTIR, FSC Work with M.AX Leading Companies to Accelerate Korea’s Rise as Global Physical AI Leader

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Financial Services Commission (FSC, Chairman Lee Eog-weon) held a public-private roundtable for the National Growth Fund-Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) Frontier Project in Seoul on July 1, 2026. Participants discussed how to identify and support leading companies and megaprojects that can help Korea become a global physical AI powerhouse. Global AI competition is rapidly moving beyond generative AI into physical AI, which enables systems to act and make decisions in the real world. Manufacturing is at the forefront of this shift. Humanoid robots, AI factories, and software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are already reshaping production sites, and Korea risks losing its manufacturing edge if it falls behind. Korea is well positioned in AI competition, as the country’s world-class manufacturing competitiveness and production infrastructure allow it to link factory data, supply chains, and production technologies with physical AI fields such as robotics, AI factories, and future vehicles. Building on these strengths, MOTIR and the FSC are pursuing the M.AX Frontier Project to identify and foster companies that can lead the global physical AI market. Under the project, MOTIR will support AI transformation and technological innovation in manufacturing through the M.AX Alliance, while the FSC will use the National Growth Fund to support large-scale investment and scale-up by promising industry leaders. The roundtable was organized to gather input on industry investment needs and discuss cooperation on megaprojects in core physical AI fields, including AI factories, robotics, and future vehicles. At the roundtable, Morgan Stanley analyst Shin Young-suk outlined Korea’s next-generation manufacturing paradigm as AI, robotics, and mobility converge. He said Korea’s accumulated manufacturing capabilities and ability to adapt quickly to industrial change provide a strong basis to capture new growth opportunities in the physical AI era. In its presentation on the need for M.AX and related support measures, MOTIR described M.AX as the only viable path to overcoming urgent challenges such as the demographic cliff and declining productivity, noting that the transformation cannot be achieved by individual companies alone. To support this effort, MOTIR has launched the M.AX Alliance, a network of more than 1,500 companies, universities, research institutes, and other organizations. MOTIR said it will rapidly deploy and expand M.AX through three core pillars—AI factories, AI robots, and AI semiconductors—and pursue tailored policies in each field, including large-scale R&D and demonstration projects. The FSC presented financial support and collaboration measures for M.AX under the National Growth Fund. Together with MOTIR’s M.AX Alliance, the FSC will identify promising companies and megaprojects in key physical AI markets, including AI factories, robotics, future vehicles, and defense, and provide long-term patient capital for their growth and scale-up. This year, the FSC will supply about KRW 16 trillion to six physical AI-related fields—AI, robotics, future vehicles, defense, semiconductors, and secondary batteries—and work with MOTIR and relevant institutions to foster national champions that can lead global markets. Leading companies in AI factories, robotics, future vehicles, and semiconductors shared industry investment needs and their growth strategies. LS Cable & System, which is carrying out the National Growth Fund’s first M.AX investment project to expand production facilities for ultra-high-voltage submarine cables, also presented its work. The company participates in the AI Factory Division of the M.AX Alliance and is applying AI to the production and quality inspection of ultra-long, heavy submarine cables. Participants stressed that leading in the AI era r date2026-07-02

Korea’s June Exports Top $100 Billion for First Time, First-Half Exports Reach Record High

June 2026 Export and Import Trends The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) announced that Korea’s exports in June 2026 rose 70.9 percent year-on-year to USD 102.25 billion. Imports increased 30.1 percent to $66.10 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $36.15 billion. Monthly exports topped $100.0 billion for the first time, making Korea the fourth country in the world, after Germany, China, and the United States, to exceed $100.0 billion in monthly exports. Semiconductor exports rose 200 percent, while non-semiconductor exports increased 28 percent. Average daily exports, adjusted for working days, rose 59.5 percent to $4.54 billion, setting a new record for the second consecutive month. By item, exports increased in 18 of Korea’s 20 key export items. In IT, computer exports reached $5.41 billion, up 308.8 percent, on higher SSD demand, while semiconductor exports rose 199.5 percent to $44.82 billion, topping $40.0 billion for the first time on strong memory demand and higher memory contract prices. Wireless communication device exports increased 51.9 percent to $1.55 billion. In mobility, automobiles rose 5.8 percent to $6.71 billion and ships increased 12.9 percent to $2.83 billion, while auto parts fell 2.4 percent to $1.74 billion. Petroleum products exports rose 49.8 percent to $5.59 billion on higher export prices, despite a decline in export volume, and petrochemicals increased 18.8 percent to $4.07 billion. Steel exports rose 9.6 percent to $2.14 billion, turning positive for the first time in 14 months since April 2025, as exports of construction materials such as rebar increased alongside a rise in data center construction. Nonferrous metals exports rose 45.8 percent to $1.82 billion, setting a record high for June, as both the unit prices and volumes of mainstay items such as copper and aluminum increased. General machinery exports rose 7.5 percent to $4.08 billion, turning positive for the first time in five months, helped by an increase in working days from a year earlier and U.S. tariff cuts on some industrial machinery. Biohealth exports rose 14.1 percent to $1.92 billion, setting a record high for June, driven by expanded market share based on competitiveness in biosimilar manufacturing and an increase in contract manufacturing organization (CMO) orders. Cosmetics exports rose 42.5 percent to $1.34 billion, continuing their growth on the back of the global spread of K-beauty's recognition and rising overseas demand, while agricultural and fisheries products exports rose 16.8 percent to $1.17 billion, posting a high double-digit growth rate on the back of expanded overseas demand centered on processed foods such as ramen and gim (seasoned laver). By destination, exports increased in seven of Korea’s nine major markets. Exports to China ($20.03 billion, up 92.1 percent) marked eight consecutive months of growth, as semiconductors — the top export item — more than tripled, while mainstay items such as petrochemicals, general machinery, and wireless communication devices also performed evenly well. Exports to the United States increased 78.6 percent to $20.02 billion, as IT items such as semiconductors, computers, and electric machinery posted high growth on expanded AI server investment, while consumer goods such as cosmetics and agricultural and fisheries products also grew strongly on the spread of the Korean Wave (Hallyu).   Exports to ASEAN ($18.30 billion, up 86.6 percent) set an all-time monthly record for the fifth consecutive month, as mainstay items such as semiconductors, petroleum products, and displays posted high growth rates, while exports to the EU ($7.62 billion, up 31.8 percent) set a record high for June, as items including ships, semiconductors, automobiles, and biohealth products all grew evenly. Exports to the Middle East ($1.80 billion, down 8.4 percent) continued to decline overall, date2026-07-01

Gwangju to Lead Future Mobility M.AX by Bringing Automotive Manufacturing and AI Together

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) hosted a Gwangju Future Mobility MINI Alliance roundtable in Gwangju on June 30, 2026. The meeting brought together automakers, suppliers, AI companies, universities, research institutes, and local governments to discuss how to develop a Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) cluster and strengthen future mobility competitiveness. The automobile industry has evolved beyond traditional manufacturing into a key advanced convergence industry, as AI, semiconductors, software, and data reshape its structure. It also remains a core regional industry that supports production, business competitiveness, and job creation, making it a key driver of regional growth under the Five Mega-Regions and Three Special Self-Governing Provinces (5+3) strategy. Gwangju has an automotive production base that brings together automakers and suppliers across the value chain. Its Cheomdan District 3 is also developing into an AI-centered industrial convergence cluster. Together, these strengths give Gwangju significant growth potential as a hub for M.AX in industrial complexes. During the roundtable, speakers presented the Gwangju MINI Alliance’s plan to develop an M.AX cluster based on the region’s strengths. The plan centers on building a Future Mobility M.AX Cluster that would advance M.AX across the automotive value chain and lead the future vehicle industry ecosystem. It also calls for developing and testing AX models for specific processes, including vision inspection, predictive maintenance, and automated logistics, at pilot factories such as Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) and Alps Electric Korea, before rolling them out across local industrial complexes. The discussion highlighted Gwangju’s distinct position as a region where automotive production sites and an AI industrial base are in proximity. Participants discussed using process, quality, and logistics data from Gwangju’s industrial complexes to develop AI models, then redeploying them on site to generate new manufacturing data, creating a virtuous cycle that supports process innovation. Manufacturers need infrastructure that can store and use manufacturing data to link data and AI models reliably. A data center is being built in Cheomdan District 3 of Gwangju Innopolis, funded by the Industrial Complex Environment Improvement Fund. MOTIR will use the center to support manufacturers’ adoption of M.AX and develop it into core infrastructure for regional manufacturing innovation. It will also strengthen domestic capabilities to produce AI infrastructure equipment, helping to build an M.AX ecosystem where manufacturing innovation goes hand in hand with growth in the AI infrastructure industry. Participants agreed to operate a governance framework that keeps manufacturers, AI companies, universities, and research institutes working together to develop an M.AX cluster centered on the Gwangju MINI Alliance. Building on this framework, they will expand M.AX across the automotive industry’s value chain. To ensure that M.AX takes hold in practice at industrial sites, the initiative will pair tailored AX support for resident companies with on-site workforce training. The results from Gwangju will be shared with other industrial complexes and the broader automobile industry, and developed into a region-led model for manufacturing innovation. “In this new age of AI, M.AX has become essential for industrial survival. In the automobile industry, competitiveness depends on innovation across the value chain,” Minister JK Kim said. “If scaled beyond Gwangju, the successful model built on the city’s automotive ecosystem and AI infrastructure could serve as an important model for manufacturing innovation and help drive regional growth under the 5+3 strategy.” date2026-06-30

Korea and Mongolia to Hold Sixth Round of Official CEPA Negotiations

Korea and Mongolia will hold the sixth round of official negotiations for the Korea-Mongolia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) from July 1 to 3, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The talks are aimed at expanding bilateral economic cooperation and strengthening the basis for mutually beneficial trade and investment. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) announced that the Korean delegation will be led by Kwon Hye-jin, Deputy Minister for Trade Negotiations, and the Mongolian delegation by State Secretary Batkhuu Idesh of the Ministry of Economy and Development. Since launching CEPA negotiations in December 2023, the two countries have held five official rounds and have come close to agreement in major areas, including goods, services, investment, digital trade, and economic cooperation. At the sixth round, the two sides will focus on key outstanding issues, including goods and rules of origin, with the aim of reaching an agreement. Korea’s strengths in manufacturing and technology complement Mongolia’s strong economic growth and abundant natural resources. Once signed and entered into force, the Korea-Mongolia CEPA is expected to expand bilateral trade and investment and further strengthen supply chain and industrial cooperation in infrastructure, consumer goods, and other areas. “Our goal in this round is to reach substantive agreement by focusing discussions on key areas, including tariff concessions on goods and rules of origin,” Deputy Minister Kwon said. “Korea will make every effort to reach a balanced, mutually beneficial outcome on market opening.” date2026-06-30

Korea and Uzbekistan Discuss Expanding Economic Cooperation

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) met with Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, in Seoul on June 26, 2026. They discussed ways to deliver tangible results in bilateral economic cooperation ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled for September 2026. With the Summit approaching, the two sides exchanged views on the need to establish the C5+Korea Industry Ministers’ Meeting as a platform for industrial cooperation between Korea and the five Central Asian countries. They also agreed to expand practical cooperation in trade and investment, AI transformation in manufacturing, the business summit, and support for Korean companies. The two sides shared the view that economic cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan is becoming more strategically important amid shifting global supply chains and growing geopolitical uncertainty. They agreed to build on the Summit to lift bilateral trade, which stood at about USD 1.8 billion in 2025, to a new level. They also agreed to strengthen the institutional framework for expanding trade and investment, including by resuming FTA negotiations once Uzbekistan accedes to the WTO. The two sides agreed to make AI transformation in manufacturing a key area of future cooperation. With more Korean companies entering Uzbekistan, the two sides agreed to use Korea’s ODA-funded digital manufacturing technology center project to build a more systematic framework for cooperation on AI transformation in manufacturing, manufacturing data standardization, and workforce training, while expanding business opportunities for companies in both countries. The two sides agreed to use the Korea-Central Asia Business Summit, planned alongside the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, to expand business exchanges between Korean and Central Asian companies and identify new commercial opportunities. As more Korean companies enter Uzbekistan, Minister Kim asked the Uzbek government to continue supporting their business operations and addressing issues they face. He also commended the Korea Desk at Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade and asked the Uzbek ministry to use the channel to help resolve Korean companies’ concerns and support a more business-friendly investment environment. “Uzbekistan is a key cooperation partner for Korea and an important economic partner in Central Asia,” Minister Kim said. “We will work closely so the Korea-Central Asia Summit in September can help take bilateral economic cooperation to the next level.” date2026-06-26