Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Korea Advances AI-driven K-Bio Innovation

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), together with KoreaBIO, the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Bio-cluster Federation, and the Medical Device Industry Promotion Foundation, hosted the 2025 Biotechnology Industry Day on Friday, November 28, 2025, at the Westin Josun Seoul. Biotechnology Industry Day is an annual event designed to recognize achievements in the biotechnology industry and promote collaboration across the sector. Now in its sixth year since launching in 2020, this year’s event brought together over 200 participants, including MOTIR Director General for Industrial Policy Park Dong-il, KoreaBIO Chairman Ko Han-sung, and Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology President Chun Yoon-jong, as well as award recipients and industry representatives. During the ceremony, the government presented a total of 34 awards to individuals and organizations that contributed to advancing the bio industry. A key highlight of this year’s event was the launch of the AI Bio Alliance, a subcommittee of the M.AX (Manufacturing AX) Alliance, which was established in September 2025. The AI Bio Alliance brings together Korean biotech companies, AI companies, and support organizations to jointly drive AI-powered innovation in the bio sector, including the development of commercially viable AI models specialized in biotechnology. In his congratulatory remarks, Director General Park noted that “despite economic challenges such as tariff uncertainties, Korea’s biotechnology industry continues to strengthen its global competitiveness through the dedication of industry leaders.” He added, "The government will continue to provide strong policy support to help Korea become one of the world’s top five bio powerhouses." date2025-11-28

Korea–EU to Deepen Cooperation on Semiconductors, AI, Future Mobility, Batteries, and Economic Security

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) met with Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy at the European Commission, on Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Seoul, to discuss ways to deepen strategic cooperation in advanced industries and technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), future mobility, batteries, and supply chains. The meeting was held during Executive Vice-President Virkkunen’s visit to Korea. As the official responsible for the EU’s key priorities—including technological sovereignty, security, and digital transformation—she and Minister Kim underscored the need for joint responses and cooperation amid rising protectionism, supply chain disruptions, and other rapidly changing global economic conditions. The two sides recognized the long-standing strategic partnership between Korea and the EU in the economic and technological fields and agreed to elevate cooperation into a future-oriented partnership encompassing economic security and advanced industries. They highlighted that Korea and the EU have complementary industrial structures in semiconductors—Korea in memory manufacturing and the EU in automotive semiconductors and advanced equipment—and agreed to work closely to ensure supply chain stability amid heightened global uncertainties. The two sides also discussed concrete cooperation measures in future-growth industries such as AI, future mobility, and batteries. On AI, Korea shared its plan to develop a Korean version of the Manufacturing-X platform, benchmarking the EU’s industrial data platform of the same name, and proposed cooperation to enhance interoperability in data linkage and utilization. Korea also emphasized the importance of international standardization for accelerating AI adoption across industries and invited the EU to participate actively in the International AI Standards Summit to be held in Seoul in December 2025. Regarding future mobility, both sides agreed to broaden cooperation in EV transition, charging-infrastructure expansion, and autonomous driving communication and data systems to support carbon neutrality goals and climate crisis response. On batteries, Korea explained that domestic companies are strengthening the EU’s advanced battery production capacity and supply chains through investments in the region. Korea requested EU-level interest and support to help expand demand for EU-produced batteries. Korea also conveyed industry concerns about delays in follow-up legislation under the Battery Regulation, asking the EU to consider fairness and consistency with other related policies during the legislative process. Both sides reaffirmed the progress achieved through multilateral platforms such as Eureka and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in advanced technologies and supply chain partnerships. Korea—which became Eureka’s first non-European member in 2009—has actively pursued cooperation with Europe in ICT, machinery and materials, and biotechnology, and was elected to the Board in 2023. Korea also raised concerns regarding the Czech nuclear FSR investigation and the EU’s proposed steel import restriction measures, requesting constructive resolution. MOTIR stated that this meeting with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission served as an opportunity to strengthen Korea–EU cooperation in semiconductors, AI, future mobility, and other advanced industries, while enhancing supply chain stability. MOTIR added that it will activate high-level consultation channels following this meeting and develop the discussed agenda into concrete cooperation projects. date2025-11-28

Korea to Boost Recycling of Critical Minerals and Advanced Materials

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS, President Kim Dae-ja), under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), announced on November 27, 2025, the establishment and promulgation of Good Recycled (GR) quality certification standards for three platinum-group metals: recycled platinum (Pt), recycled palladium (Pd), and recycled rhodium (Rh). The initiative aims to secure stable supply chains for national critical minerals and establish a foundation for revitalizing Korea’s resource-recycling industry. Platinum, palladium, and rhodium—three major platinum-group metals that serve as essential catalysts in various chemical reactions and as core raw materials in advanced materials industries such as aerospace engines—have been designated as national critical minerals due to their significant economic and industrial impact. Korean mineral-recycling companies have long faced challenges in gaining market trust and accessing the recycled products market due to the absence of clear quality standards and credible testing and certification systems. To address these gaps, KATS worked through the Korean Resource Circulation Industry Certification Institute (KOCIRI) to collect industry feedback and develop GR standards for recycled Pt, Pd, and Rh. The new standards clearly define purity and impurity thresholds, testing methods, and labeling requirements for recycled products. With the introduction of these GR standards, recycled critical minerals can now obtain nationally recognized quality certification, which is expected to enhance confidence in product quality and support corporate ESG initiatives. This will boost revenue growth across related industries and accelerate development of Korea’s critical mineral recycling sector. KATS President Kim stated, “The establishment of GR certification standards for recycled platinum-group critical minerals fills an industry-identified gap in recycling quality certification and provides a reliable foundation for companies to produce trusted recycled materials.” He added, “KATS will continue strengthening communication with industry stakeholders to expand standards for recycled metals in line with industrial needs and to further revitalize critical mineral recycling, supporting Korea’s broader transition toward a circular economy.” The GR standards for recycled platinum, palladium, and rhodium are available free of charge on the KOCIRI website (www.kociri.or.kr). date2025-11-28

Korea Accelerates International Standardization of Semiconductor Packaging Processes

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS, President Kim Dae-ja), under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), held the “2025 Semiconductor Standardization Forum” in Seoul on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, with over 90 Korean semiconductor experts in attendance, including representatives from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The forum brought together experts from three leading semiconductor standardization organizations—the Semiconductor Device Technical Committee (TC 47) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), and the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC)—to discuss standardization trends in advanced semiconductor packaging (back-end processes) and AI-related semiconductors. During the IEC session, the committee introduced two new international standard proposals submitted by Korea at the previous week’s TC 47 meeting in Japan. The proposals include a standard for evaluating hybrid bonding strength—enabling direct wafer-to-wafer bonding without bumps (intermediate structures)—and a standard for assessing the precision of power semiconductor wafer dicing (cutting). These standards provide objective criteria for evaluating the reliability of wafer bonding and chip (die) separation processes. They are expected to facilitate specification alignment with global customers and reduce redundant testing for Korean semiconductor packaging and process-equipment manufacturers. SEMI addressed standardization issues in automating advanced-packaging fabs and introduced ongoing standardization efforts for automated operations, including the transport and handling of semiconductor panels and large substrates.  JEDEC highlighted the need for low-power Processing-In-Memory (PIM) solutions, presented relevant standardization measures, and shared recent trends in memory semiconductor standardization for on-device AI. KATS President Kim stated, “Public international standards, such as those established by the IEC, have long served as a common language of trade under the WTO framework. However, the influence of global de facto standards, such as those driven by SEMI and JEDEC, has been increasing in recent years.” He emphasized, “The government will continue supporting Korean companies so they can play a leading role within these global standardization bodies.” date2025-11-27

Korea’s Retail Industry Grows 6.7% in October

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) announced on November 26 that Korea’s retail industry grew 6.7 percent year-on-year in October 2025, with offline sales up 6.6 percent and online sales up 6.8 percent. MOTIR’s monthly retail sales figures are based on surveys of 23 major retailers, comprising 13 brick-and-mortar retailers and 10 online retailers. By offline retail channel, department stores rose 12.2 percent, large supermarkets gained 9.3 percent, and convenience stores increased 0.7 percent, while super supermarkets (SSM) fell 1.7 percent. Growth was driven by a long holiday period, late-Chuseok demand, and company-wide promotional campaigns during the nationwide Korea Grand Festival (October 29–November 9). As a result, department stores and large supermarkets saw strong gains, convenience stores recorded their fourth consecutive month of growth, while SSMs saw their third straight month of decline. Online sales continued to grow, led by food, services—such as e-coupons, delivery services, and cultural/travel products—as well as electronics and cosmetics. By category, sales increased across all major segments, including home appliances (up 2.4 percent) supported by the energy-efficient appliance rebate program, fashion/accessories (up 4.7 percent), food (up 8.7 percent), services (up 6.0 percent), and premium international brands (up 19.5 percent). date2025-11-26

MOTIR Supports Global Expansion of K-Beauty, K-Food, and Other Korean Consumer Goods

Kang Gam-chan, Director General for Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), attended the “2025 Korea Grand Sourcing Fair (KGSF 2025)” on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at COEX Hall B in Seoul. Organized by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) since 2009, the fair is an export consultation event inviting overseas buyers. This year, the fair brought together 880 Korean companies and 150 overseas buyers from 30 countries. Notably, about 70 percent of participating companies were from the K-beauty and K-food sectors, underscoring strong global demand for Korean consumer goods driven by Hallyu. In his congratulatory remarks, Director General Kang stated, “As K-culture continues to spread, Korean consumer goods are rapidly emerging as a new driver of exports, with cumulative exports from January to October 2025 reaching USD 85.7 billion, up 1.6 percent year-on-year.” He added, “The government will continue pursuing support measures to help Korean companies overcome global trade uncertainties and further expand consumer goods exports.” To that end, the government will strengthen marketing efforts at global events—such as K-pop concerts held alongside Hallyu expos—to expand opportunities for on-site consumer engagement and product promotion. The government will also work with KOTRA to address on-site challenges by enhancing logistics services tailored to consumer goods, including shelf-life management and return handling, and by expanding country-specific certification and consulting support. It also plans to strengthen online export platforms by building global e-commerce channels and launching integrated delivery and payment-processing solutions. Meanwhile, KITA announced that this year’s fair is expected to generate over 2,200 export consultations. It added that inviting halal buyers and global distributors, as well as conducting influencer-driven marketing activities, is expected to help Korean companies secure new overseas sales channels. date2025-11-26

Korea Ramps Up Public–Private Cooperation to Turn Carbon Neutrality into a Driver of Industrial Growth

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sung-whan) held an industry roundtable on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, to discuss Korea’s finalized 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and government support measures for industrial carbon neutrality. Approved by the Cabinet on November 11, 2025, the 2035 NDC commits Korea to reduce net emissions by 53.0–61.0 percent below 2018 levels, with the industrial sector required to reduce emissions by 24.3–31.0 percent. Addressing industry concerns that these ambitious targets may increase compliance burdens, the government explained that it will operate the Emissions Trading System (ETS) using the lower bound of the reduction targets (overall emissions: 53.0 percent, industry emissions: 24.3 percent) to minimize the burden. It also discussed relief measures permitted under current regulations, such as eligible offsets and additional allowance allocations. MOTIR outlined its key initiatives for 2026, which include launching a large-scale “Industry GX Plus” R&D program worth over KRW 5 trillion to develop industrial carbon-neutral technologies; supporting incentive-based facility upgrades through auctions and voluntary agreements; and actively promoting efficient and tangible support policies, such as large enterprise–SME carbon partnerships. Beginning in 2026, MCEE will also strengthen support for large-scale reduction projects by major emitters; review the introduction of Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD), which are currently being implemented in Europe, after 2027; and attract more private capital into carbon-neutral investments by offering additional interest rate incentives for projects with substantial mitigation outcomes. Park Dong-il, Director General for Industrial Policy at MOTIR, emphasized that “the 2035 NDC can serve as a pivotal opportunity for Korean industries to transition toward low-carbon, high value-added Green Transformation, and the government will provide active support to ensure this shift.”  Ahn Se-chang, Director General for Climate and Energy Policy at MCEE, noted that “the 2035 NDC is not just a reduction commitment but also a blueprint for Korea’s future economic growth. We will spare no effort in providing large-scale support to ensure its successful implementation across industries.” The government will actively gather industry feedback through sector-specific roundtables and finalize a whole-of-government “K-GX Strategy” in the first half of 2026. date2025-11-25

Promising Materials, Parts, and Equipment Firms Climb the Growth Ladder Through Global Investment

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the Global Investor IR Day event on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at The Westin Seoul Parnas. The event brought together around 150 participants, including representatives from eight domestic and global investment institutions—such as LB Investment and Korea Investment Partners—as well as 94 Korean materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) companies. Overview of Global Investor IR Day Date and Venue: Tuesday, November 25, 2025, 10:30–16:30 / LL Floor, The Westin Seoul Parnas Key Participants: MOTIR Director General for Trade and Investment; Park Ki-ho, Chairman of the Korea Core Industrial Technology Investment Association; eight domestic and global investors, including LB Investment, Korea Investment Partners, IMM Investment, Woori Venture Partners, SBI Investment, TEL VC, STIC Ventures, and NAU IB Capital; and 94 Korean MPE companies including PLAIF and Sealink, totaling approximately 150 participants Program: Investment-strategy presentations by participating institutions and one-on-one pitching sessions between domestic and global investors and Korean companies The event was organized to support promising Korean MPE companies—many of which possess strong technological capabilities but face difficulties securing capital—by facilitating investment matching with domestic and global private equity funds, venture capital firms, and other private investors. The first Global Investor IR Day, held on October 31, 2025, alongside the Invest KOREA Summit 2025, resulted in USD 50 million in matched investment commitments for six Korean MPE firms. MOTIR has steadily strengthened its policy foundation through support for technology development and commercialization, and this event serves as a practical support program that directly connects private capital with innovative companies, helping to bridge the funding gap for growth-stage firms. Notably, the event drew strong investor interest in leading MPE technology companies such as PLAIF, an AI-powered autonomous dual-arm robot-solutions company participating in the K-Humanoid Alliance aimed at commercializing Korean humanoid robots, and Sealink, which developed an eco-friendly sealing device for semiconductor equipment through a MOTIR R&D project—challenging the paradigm in a field previously dominated by Japanese companies. During the event, investors shared their investment strategies, focus areas, and market outlooks, and held one-on-one meetings to conduct in-depth reviews of each company’s technological capabilities, market potential, business models, and revenue prospects. They also agreed to continue follow-up discussions with the companies after the event to build ongoing relationships. In his congratulatory remarks, Kang Gam-chan, Director General for Trade and Investment at MOTIR, stated, “For growth-stage companies, securing timely capital for R&D, facility investment, and overseas expansion is absolutely critical. The government will continue working to ensure that companies that have achieved technological innovation through national R&D programs, as well as promising firms that play key roles in supply chains, can obtain the financing they need at each stage of their growth.” date2025-11-25