Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Korea rolls out AI Autonomous Manufacturing Anchor Projects

Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Dukgeun Ahn of the Republic of Korea attended the AI Autonomous Manufacturing Anchor Project Agreement Ceremony today in Seoul and announced 26 projects set for launch this year. Participating in the anchor projects are a number of Korea’s major manufacturing companies including Hyundai Motor, GS Caltex, Samsung Heavy Industries, POSCO, and Korean Air. With 213 submissions sent in for the selection of 10 projects, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) increased the number of anchor projects from the initial 10 to 26 as a nod to companies’ keen interest, which can be attributed to artificial intelligence (AI) playing a crucial role in their future manufacturing survival strategy. The AI Autonomous Manufacturing Anchor Project is meaningful in that AI is an efficient means of responding to working age population declines and demographic shifts. With the introduction of AI, human errors are decreased, quality control can reach new heights, and businesses can react quickly to consumer needs and other rapidly changing market trends. AI deployment further contributes to carbon reduction and onsite safety, enhances productivity, and reduces costs across all sectors. The total investment for the 26 anchor projects amounts to KRW 3.7 trillion, ₩190 billion of which the Korean government and local authorities will be funding over a four-year period. Through the anchor projects, MOTIE is looking forward to raising productivity by over 30 percent, while lowering costs, product defect rate, and energy consumption by over 20 percent, 50 percent, and 10 percent, respectively. Beginning with 26 projects this year, MOTIE plans to increase the number of anchor projects to 200 by 2027, which are expected to draw over ₩20 trillion in investment to Korea. Going forward, the anchor projects will center around the AI Autonomous Manufacturing Alliance (“Alliance”), which the ministry launched in July 2024 with the participation of 153 companies and institutions from 12 sectors in order to prevent the anchor projects from being reduced to a one-time or sporadic event. MOTIE intends to scale up the overall project to cover SMEs, middle-market companies, and large corporations within the Alliance based on sector-specific roadmaps.  For firms neither part of the Alliance nor anchor projects, an AI Manufacturing Foundation Model will be developed starting this year with a total investment of ₩10 billion, with the participation of related research institutions like the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) and the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI). Based on data and technologies gained through the anchor projects, these institutions will work in tandem to create the foundation model for distribution across manufacturing sites by 2026 or later. Using the foundation model, manufacturers will be able to establish AI manufacturing systems tailored to their respective procedures. Local government bodies will also join in the effort to spread the use of AI in Korea’s manufacturing sites. First, they will work on uncovering anchor projects with a focus on locally specialized industries. Moreover, they will push the establishment of AI autonomous manufacturing hubs to promote the diffusion of AI within their regions. Industrial complexes will assist tenant businesses’ AI manufacturing innovations by providing a simulation center, module center, and an innovation data center for shared use. K-SURE is to provide ₩10 trillion in trade financing over a five-year period to assist the AI autonomous manufacturing projects of companies taking part in the Alliance.   date2024-10-28

Trade Minister Cheong meets Korean firms operating in local Brazilian market

Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong held a meeting with Korean firms operating in the local Brazilian market on October 25 in São Paulo and discussed business issues. date2024-10-28

B20 Trade Ministers' Session

Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong attended the B20 Trade Ministers' Session on October 25 in Brazil and asked for business leaders’ active participation in the APEC CEO Summit 2025 following his presentation under the theme of governance, resilience, and stronger efficiency for sustainable trade and investment. date2024-10-28

Korea proposes technical committee for international MVDC standards at IEC General Meeting 2024

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea announced on October 27 that it proposed the launching of a technical committee (TC) for the legislation of international standards for medium voltage direct currents (MVDC) during the IEC General Meeting 2024 held in Edinburgh, UK, through October 21–25. The TC proposal comes as a follow-up measure to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)’s selection of Korea’s MVDC technology as a key future standards area this May. Following previous TCs for printed electronics (2011) and wearables (2017), the TC for MVDC is the third to be pushed by Korea. It is anticipated that the transmission of direct currents produced from harnessing hydrogen fuel cells, solar energy and such new renewable sources will substantially contribute to securing technological competitiveness in the global MVDC grid market. On the margins of the IEC General Meeting, KATS and the Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing (UNMZ) entered a two-year arrangement on implementing standards cooperation including plans for a bilateral technical standards workshop on artificial intelligence (AI) and electric vehicle (EV) chargers, as well as launching a Korea-Czech Standards Cooperation Forum for closer standards collaboration, with a view to support the two countries’ comprehensive economic cooperation over industries, trade, and energy as a follow-up to Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the Czech Republic this September.   date2024-10-28

Energy Policy Dep. Minister meets Petronas’ Gas and Maritime Business CEO

The Republic of Korea’s Deputy Minister for Energy Policy Lee Ho-hyeon met with Petronas’ Gas and Maritime Business CEO Datuk Adif Zulkifli today in Seoul to discuss measures for energy cooperation. date2024-10-25

Trade Minister meets South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong of the Republic of Korea met South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Zuko Godlimpi on October 24 in Brazil for bilateral talks on Korea-South Africa economic cooperation on margins of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting. date2024-10-25

Trade Minister meets UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong of the Republic of Korea met UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds on October 24 in Brazil for bilateral talks on Korea-UK trade issues on margins of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting. date2024-10-25

Trade Minister meets UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong of the Republic of Korea met UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi on October 24 in Brazil for bilateral talks on continued cooperation for Korea-UAE CEPA ratification and entry into force on margins of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting. date2024-10-25

Korea announces International Standards Strategy on Convergence Robot Technology

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea announced today the Convergence Robot Technology International Standards Strategy (“Strategy") for supporting the Korean robot industry’s global super gap securing efforts. In line with Korea’s national standardization strategy for advanced industries announced this May, the above Strategy was established through the international robot standardization forum composed of related academia, industry, and research experts. With the acceleration of digital transformation based on artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G, the scope of demand for robots is extending beyond industrial uses to include a wider range of areas such as logistics, housework, delivery, and care service. In view of this trend, the Strategy outlines the plan to push 21 Korean Standard (KS) legislations and 16 key international standard proposals for mainly wearable, rehabilitation, and home service robots by 2028. Notably, the Strategy contains an international standard proposal on safety precautions for users of rehabilitation robots for the physically challenged, a joint research project in progress by the Korea Association of Robot Industry (KARI) and the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Accordingly, KARI and RESNA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the joint development, utilization, and sharing of relevant international standards on the margins of the Strategy announcement.   date2024-10-25

Trade Minister meets U.S. Trade Representative

Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong of the Republic of Korea held bilateral talks with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on October 24 in Brazil on Korea-U.S. trade issues on margins of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting. date2024-10-25