Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

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, Minister JK Kim) announced on November 27 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 lay the 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. Over the years, Korean mineral-recycling companies have faced challenges in establishing market trust and accessing the recycled products market because of 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, in turn, will boost revenue growth across related industries and accelerate the development of Korea’s critical mineral recycling sector. 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, Minister JK Kim) held the “2025 Semiconductor Standardization Forum” in Seoul on Wednesday, November 26, with more than 90 Korean semiconductor experts in attendance, including representatives from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The forum brought together experts from three of the world’s leading semiconductor standardization organizations— Technical Committee (TC) 47 (Semiconductor devices) 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, Korea introduced two new international standard proposals put forward at last week’s IEC TC 47 meeting in Japan. The proposals include a standard for evaluating hybrid bonding strength—used for 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 ease specification alignment with global customers and reduce redundant testing for Korean semiconductor packaging and process-equipment manufacturers. SEMI, addressing standardization issues in automating advanced-packaging fabs, 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. 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, at COEX Hall B in Seoul. Organized by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) since 2009, the fair is an export consultation event that invites overseas buyers. This year, the fair brought together 880 Korean companies and 150 overseas buyers from 30 countries. Notably, about 70 percent of all participants represented K-beauty and K-food companies, 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 a variety of 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 promptly resolve 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 boost online export platforms by building global online e-commerce channels and launching integrated delivery and payment-processing solutions. Meanwhile, KITA announced that this year’s fair is expected to lead to more than 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, 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, the 2035 NDC commits Korea to reduce net emissions to 53–61 percent below 2018 levels, with the industrial sector responsible for a 24.3–31.0 percent reduction. 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 percent, industry emissions: 24.3 percent) to minimize the burden. It also discussed additional 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 draw 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 relay 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, 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 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, thereby helping address the funding gap for growth-stage companies. Notably, the event drew strong investor interest in leading MPE technology companies such as PLAIF, an AI-powered dual-arm autonomous robot-solutions company participating in the K-Humanoid Alliance aimed at commercializing Korean humanoid robots, and Sealink, which, through a MOTIR R&D project, developed an eco-friendly sealing device for semiconductor equipment—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 then held one-on-one meetings to perform 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 a key role in supply chains, can obtain the financing they need at each stage of their growth.” date2025-11-25

SNU and M.AX Alliance to Jointly Develop AI Models for Humanoids, Autonomous Vehicles, and AI Factories

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and Seoul National University (SNU, President Ryu Hong-lim) signed an MOU on November 24 to strengthen cooperation between SNU and the M.AX Alliance. Launched by MOTIR and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in September, the M.AX Alliance includes more than 1,000 participating organizations, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, and Rainbow Robotics. MOTIR previously announced that through the Alliance, the government aims to innovate manufacturing processes and foster new industries such as humanoids, creating more than KRW 100 trillion in added value by 2030 and positioning Korea as a global leader in Manufacturing AX. SNU to Fully Participate in the M.AX Alliance With this MOU, SNU is expected to begin fully participating in the M.AX Alliance’s core programs, particularly in AI model development, manufacturing data utilization, and talent development. ❶ SNU will jointly develop AI models for humanoids, autonomous vehicles, and AI factories together with manufacturing companies in the Alliance. The companies will provide SNU with the data and platforms—robots, vehicles, and factories—needed for developing AI models in each field. The developed AI models will then be supplied back to the companies for integration into their products and factories. MOTIR recently launched related R&D projects to support this initiative. ❷ SNU and the M.AX Alliance will cooperate on manufacturing data utilization. The two will develop a plan by next year for the joint use of manufacturing data secured through their respective R&D activities and projects such as the AI Factory. The plan will outline methods for preprocessing, standardizing, and anonymizing data so it can be applied to AI model development and demonstration. To support this, MOTIR will develop and implement a program next year to build and utilize a manufacturing data repository. ❸ SNU and the Alliance will also work closely on talent development. MOTIR will leverage industry–academia cooperation projects and talent development programs to create various opportunities for outstanding SNU students to participate in Alliance activities. Under the MOU, the SNU Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation will select promising students and provide them with opportunities to participate in R&D projects and internship programs within the Alliance. Next Steps Following the MOU, SNU and MOTIR will expand discussions through one-on-one collaboration between six specialized research institutes at SNU and corresponding subcommittees of the M.AX Alliance. Minister Kim stated, “Once the world-class manufacturing capabilities of M.AX Alliance companies combine with SNU’s creative research and outstanding talent, the vision of becoming the world’s leading manufacturing AX nation will be well within reach.” date2025-11-24

Korea and Tajikistan Discuss Expanding Economic Cooperation

Park Jung-sung, Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), met with Nazar Aziz Savzali, Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Tajikistan, on November 24, at the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation in Seoul to discuss expanding bilateral economic cooperation in trade and investment, official development assistance (ODA), and critical mineral supply chains. The Tajik delegation also included Abdugaffor Jamolzoda, Deputy Director of the Export Agency, and Shamsullo Khairullozoda, Deputy Minister of Finance. During the meeting, the two sides noted the steady growth of bilateral trade but agreed on the need to diversify exports beyond automobiles. They also discussed expanding industrial cooperation through MOTIR’s ODA programs in areas such as textiles and solar power, as well as strengthening supply chain cooperation for critical minerals available in Tajikistan.  The Tajik delegation expressed interest in benchmarking Korea’s export promotion and industrial site development policies as part of efforts to expand bilateral trade and investment, and requested more active communication, including the sharing of best practices. The Korean side agreed on the importance of strengthening exchanges and cooperation. Deputy Minister Park said, “Tajikistan is one of Korea’s key economic partners in Central Asia. We will continue to advance bilateral cooperation through various policy initiatives in areas such as trade, investment, and development cooperation.” date2025-11-24