Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Korea’s first homegrown self-propelled howitzer engine ready for mass production, to enter global market in 2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of the Republic of Korea held the delivery ceremony of the first homegrown engine for Korea’s self-propelled howitzers, the K9 Thunders, today at STX Engine’s Changwon plant.  The ceremony was attended by 60 persons including MOTIE Vice Minister Sungtaek Park, DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun, STX Engine CEO Lee Sang-su, and Hanwha Aerospace Vice President Moon Ji-hoon. In September 2020, MOTIE and DAPA entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on technology cooperation for the localization of primary defense materials and parts and in following April, they launched the project for developing homegrown self-propelled howitzer engines. Within three years, they succeeded in the localization and mass production of approximately 500 key engine parts, resulting in a purely homegrown engine with enhanced performance and economic feasibility. The feat is anticipated to widen the path for the K9 Thunders’ global market entry. MOTIE Vice Minister Park underscored the importance of self-reliance in the production of vital defense materials and parts for Korea’s defense industry to keep up its pace amid the intensifying global exports race, vowing that the ministry will make further effort to secure critical technology for high value-added defense materials, parts, and equipment (“MPE”). DAPA Minister Seok remarked that the K9 Thunder has positioned itself as Korea’s high-end weapon, thanks to the localization of its engine via collaboration with MOTIE. He shared plans to bolster interministerial cooperation on the occasion of the achievement. MOTIE and DAPA aim to jointly develop next-generation prime technologies for hydrogen fuel cell systems and high-tech aircraft engines, while also working closely to secure 60 critical MPE technologies across five major advanced defense areas such as defense semiconductors.   date2024-09-27

Korea plans to raise corporate AI deployment rate to 70% by 2030

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol chaired the first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee meeting in Seoul with the participation of academia and industry experts for discussions on Korea’s national AI strategy, measures for the diffusion of industrial AI transformation (AX), and private sector investment plans. Noting that AI in itself is of massive industrial value as an important foundational technology with prospects of creating enormous up- and downstream impact across all sectors, President Yoon highlighted that successful AI deployment over diverse industries will generate far-reaching economic effect. At the inaugural Committee meeting, MOTIE reported policy measures for the diffusion of AX, articulating plans to raise the level of corporate AI utilization rate (currently 31 percent) and the AI deployment rate at manufacturing sites (currently 5 percent) to 70 percent and 40 percent by 2030, respectively, through Korea’s three pillar industrial AX projects. They include the implementation of over 300 anchor projects for manufacturing and service industries by 2027 to provide concentrated R&D, finance, and consulting assistance toward projects involving the participation of buyer and supplier firms in AI solution, robot, and equipment, for which the first batch of 25 projects will be selected next month.  Under the industrial AX projects, the ministry further plans to announce measures in the near future for supporting the AI semiconductor ecosystem, while also pushing the establishment of an industrial data integration platform. First, a carbon data platform will be developed by 2027 with focus on the five most carbon-intensive sectors—steel and aluminum, battery, automobiles, home appliances, and textiles—on which risks are highest with regard to major countries’ carbon regulatory measures. The platform will then be extended to cover data on core sectors’ processes and supply chains as well. In addition to the three pillar projects, MOTIE will mull the prospects of nurturing an AI-specialized complex, training AX professional manpower through in-company graduate courses on AX, increasing tax incentives for key AX technology, and injecting a KRW 3.5 billion-plus policy funding into the AI field. Under the AI Industrial Policy Committee launched in May, MOTIE will be operating an AX Alliance for propelling anchor projects forward and a public-private industrial AX law forum to facilitate discussions on legal and institutional matters in an effort to boost the systematic drive for AX diffusion.  On reviewing the bills containing the aforesaid plans, President Yoon asked that all ministries actively cooperate as members of the National AI Committee to successfully accelerate the AI transition across Korea’s social and industrial landscape.   date2024-09-26

Korea and Serbia launch negotiations for bilateral EPA

Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong and Serbia’s Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade Tomislav Momirović jointly declared the launching of negotiations for the Korea-Serbia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) today in Seoul, announcing Korea’s first trade negotiations with a Balkan country. Strategically located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe, Serbia is rich in critical resources such as lithium and zinc. It is rapidly rising as Europe’s new production base based on its robust manufacturing sector and is already home to Korea’s car parts and mobility businesses. Going forward, the two countries can anticipate cooperation over advanced industrial supply chains such as battery and electric vehicles (EVs), as well as nuclear reactors in view of the Serbian government’s recent push for nuclear power development. Noting that this year commemorates the 35th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-Serbia diplomatic relations, Trade Minister Cheong expressed his expectations for the EPA negotiations to serve as an institutional basis for opening new horizons on the two countries’ cooperative ties, catalyzing bilateral collaboration across various areas including automobiles, high-tech, renewable energy, and nuclear reactors. In conjunction with the launch of negotiations, MOTIE also held a business conference with Korean companies operating in the Serbian market and other relevant institutions to discuss promising joint projects in information technology, bio, energy, and critical minerals supply chains.   date2024-09-26

Korea and Thailand launch 2nd official negotiating round for bilateral EPA

Korea’s Deputy Minister for FTA Negotiations Roh Keon-ki and Director-General of the Department of Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand Chotima Iemsawasdikul are heading their respective delegations in the second round of official negotiations for the Korea-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) from September 25–27 in Seoul. The Korean government delegation is composed of representatives of various relevant ministries and will engage in negotiations with the Thai government delegation over 12 areas including goods, rules of origin, customs, government procurement, intellectual property rights, technical barriers to trade (TBTs), and economic cooperation. On the occasion of this second negotiating round, Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong met with Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Suchart Chomklin, who is accompanying the Thai delegation to Korea, for talks on bilateral economic issues. The trade chief and the deputy minister attended the opening ceremony today to encourage both delegations as an expression of strong interest towards the EPA on behalf of their governments. In his opening address, Trade Minister Cheong urged the two delegations to partake in the negotiations with a forward-looking mindset to establish a bilateral trade agreement better tailored to the new global trade order and to improving the two countries’ economic cooperation. In this round of negotiations, both sides are aiming to deepen discussions based on their stance and issues affirmed during the first negotiating round held in July and actively seek ways to narrow differences to move the negotiations further forward.   date2024-09-25

H2 MEET 2024 takes off at historic scale, accelerating hydrogen economies around the world

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that the H2 Mobility Energy Environment Technology (“H2 MEET 2024”) exhibition will be held from September 25–27 at KINTEX in Goyang City. The fifth of its kind, H2 MEET 2024 has drawn participation of a record number of 317 companies and institutions from 24 countries this year and showcases prominent products and technologies representing each area of the hydrogen industry spanning production, storage, transport, and utilization. Major companies from around the world have set up booths displaying hydrogen-powered engines, tractors, cargo bikes and other hydrogen mobility products as well as a variety of items for hydrogen storage and transport such as clean hydrogen production facilities for electrolysis and carbon capture, hydrogen liquefaction tanks, pipelines, and chargers. Also in the lineup are a number of sidelines events: the Leaders Summit for discussing latest trends of the global hydrogen industry and technologies; Country Day for introducing hydrogen policies of Australia, Canada, and the U.S. among other major countries; H2 Innovation Award for selecting innovative and outstanding companies in hydrogen technology; and a trade consultation for supporting Korean businesses’ overseas market entry. MOTIE’s Vice Minister Namho Choe attended the opening ceremony, stating that the Korean government will actively assist the effort to establish a hydrogen ecosystem through various policies such as launching the clean hydrogen power bidding market and increasing the distribution of hydrogen buses.   date2024-09-25

Korea and Zimbabwe discuss trade, investment, and energy cooperation as follow-up to Korea-Africa Summit

Korea’s Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong held talks with Zimbabwe's Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Amon Murwira on September 24 in Seoul on the occasion of the Zimbabwean minister’s visit for follow-up to the Korea-Africa Summit 2024 and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and energy. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1994, Korea and Zimbabwe have continuously worked together to maintain and develop favorable cooperative relations centering on development cooperation and people-to-people exchange in areas of agricultural technology and healthcare. Trade Minister Cheong remarked that their high-level exchanges have recently gained further traction, such as the Zimbabwean government delegation’s participation in the Korea-Africa Summit, and noted that the Korea-Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF) agreement inked on the margins of the event have contributed to advancing the two countries’ relations towards a more tangible partnership. Minister Murwira showed interest in Korea’s development of its own Innovative Small Modular Reactor (i-SMR) for resolving Zimbabwe’s power shortages and the challenge of attaining net zero, to which the Korean trade chief suggested that the two countries discuss detailed cooperation measures as per future technological developments.   date2024-09-25

Korea’s retail industry grows 9.2% in August

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced today that Korea’s retail industry advanced 9.2 percent year-on-year for the month of August 2024, with offline and online sales increasing 5.0 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively. MOTIE's monthly retail sales figures are based on surveys of 23 major retailers. Thirteen of them are brick-and-mortar retailers: three department store chains, three hypermarket chains, three convenience store chains, and four super supermarket (SSMs) operators. The remaining 10 are online retailers. Sales increased offline at department stores and hypermarkets as the heat wave (+10 days) and holidays both lengthened (+1) by number of days, in addition to the Chuseok holidays landing earlier by over a week this year compared to 2023. Convenience stores and SSM operators also rose in sales. By offline retail channel, hypermarket sales soared 5.9 percent overall, led by Chuseok gift purchases driving food product sales (up 9.9 percent). Meanwhile, non-food product categories (down 3.7 percent) mostly declined with the exception of clothing (up 4.5 percent). Department store sales hiked 4.4 percent, boosted by food product purchases (up 18.7 percent) soaring on the backs of Chuseok gift consumption. The heat wave and higher number of holidays (+1) drew more visitors to department stores, raising sales across all categories. Convenience store sales rose 4.5 percent overall, with beverages/processed food products (up 6.5 percent) growing from ice cream and beverage sales. Instant food products (up 1.8 percent), foreign tourists’ transit card, and tobacco sales all increased. SSM operators climbed 6.7 percent, with food products (up 7.5 percent) enjoying robust sales in conjunction with increased demand for homecooked meals and seasonal goods like agricultural, fishery, and livestock items (up 8.7 percent), fresh goods (up 6.8 percent), and processed food products (up 6.4 percent). Online retail sales surged 13.9 percent as the heat wave fueled demand for stamina health foods and food delivery, increasing sales of service/other (up 60.4 percent) and food products (up 19.8 percent). Demand for companion animal goods, cosmetic products (up 11.2 percent), and living furniture (up 10.8 percent) expanded, while fashion/clothing (down 17.8 percent) and sports (down 12.7 percent) continued to slow.   date2024-09-24

Global standards-setting on track to claim super gap in advanced industries

On Tuesday, September 24, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) held the Standards Leadership Forum, bringing together leaders from academia, industry, and research to review key achievements under the National Standardization Strategy for Advanced Industries jointly announced by the public and private sectors during a previous forum in May. The key achievements include the timely development of international and national standards in 12 advanced industries including semiconductors and AI, strengthening international cooperation, expanding industrial standardization activities, and nurturing a standardization infrastructure for training standardization professionals. Through a concentrated national effort based on the standardization strategy for advanced industries, Korea developed and proposed 50 international standards from January–August in 12 advanced industries including artificial intelligence and displays—more than double the number compared to previous years. * Number of international standard proposals in 12 advanced industries by year: 23 (2022) → 23 (2023) → 50 (Jan–Aug. 2024) Notably, two international standards were proposed for performance evaluation of displays used in rollable and foldable phones (including multi-folding models) under development by Korean and overseas companies, laying the groundwork for proper assessment of Korea's leading technologies. Additionally, three international standards were proposed to lead in AI technologies, including guidelines for lightweight AI systems applicable to on-device AI, such as smartphones. The increase in these international standard proposal activities has also resulted in a growing number of Korean executives leading international standard development at organizations like the Joint Technical Committee on Quantum Technologies (JTC3). As of August 2024, the number of Korean executives in these roles reached 274, up from 263 of the previous year.   date2024-09-24