Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

ICT exports rise 28.1% to $17.7 billion in January

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on February 13 that exports of information and communication technology (ICT) goods rose 28.1 percent year-on-year to USD 17.7 billion in January.Exports of ICT goods saw double-digit growth for the 14th consecutive month since December 2016, while reaching a record-high for each respective month for 12 straight months.The double-digit growth in ICT exports was led by a 53.8 percent year-on-year increase in outbound shipments of semiconductors date2018-02-21

Automobile exports post double-digit growth in January

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on February 13 that automobile exports surged 10.4 percent to 196,835 vehicles from a year earlier in January.In terms of value, car exports grew 9 percent year-on-year to USD 3.2 billion, thanks to increased shipments to most regions, except North America and other Asian countries. This growth was supported by the growing popularity of compact sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and eco-friendly cars. The number of green vehicles shipped overseas date2018-02-19

Industry Ministry to host world’s first robot ski tournament

Seoul, Korea - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on February 9 that the Ministry will host the “Edge of Robot: Ski Robot Challenge,” the world’s first robot ski tournament, at a ski resort in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, on February 12. During the tournament, planned to be held on the sideline of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, robots will participate in a race similar to giant slalom competitions, which involve skiing between gates. The robot skiers will date2018-02-09

Korea unveils roadmap to develop future car industry

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) unveiled a roadmap for the development of the future car industry that aims to generate a new growth engine for the Korean economy at a conference in Pangyo, near Seoul, on February 2. According to the roadmap, the Korean government and private sector will cooperate on developing core technologies for autonomous vehicles and constructing smart traffic systems to introduce the infrastructure necessary for completely self-driving cars by 2022.Elec date2018-02-02

Korea, US conclude second meeting on amendments to FTA in Seoul

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on February 1 that the second round of negotiations on amendments to the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) took place in Seoul on January 31 and February 1.At the talks, the two sides had more detailed discussions on the issues raised at the first round of negotiations held in Washington D.C. on January 5, 2018. They also exchanged their views on market access and tariffs.The Korean delegation was led by Deputy Minister for F date2018-02-01

Korea’s exports expand 22.2% to $49.2 billion in January

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on February 1 that Korea’s exports in January expanded 22.2 percent year-on-year to USD 49.2 billion, posting an all-time January record high. Exports of goods increased for 15 consecutive months, achieving a double-digit growth in four months since September 2017. The average daily exports of goods rose 9.5 percent to $2.1 billion from a year earlier. Won-denominated exports increased 10 percent to 52.5 trillion won. Export pr date2018-02-01

Korea’s retail sales increase 6.2% in 2017

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on January 30 that retail sales in 2017 increased 6.2 percent over 2016 on the back of strong growth in e-commerce businesses. Online retail sales in 2017 jumped 13.2 percent from a year earlier, accounting for 33.9 percent of the total retail sales. This double-digit growth in web-based sales was due to consumers’ preference to convenient online shopping experiences. Sales of major online sellers grew 27 percent and those of online date2018-01-31

Korea, US to hold second round of FTA amendment talks in Seoul

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on January 26 that the second round of negotiations on amendments of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) will take place in Seoul on January 31 and February 1, 2018. The Korean delegation will be led by Yoo Myung-hee, Director General for Trade Policy Bureau of MOTIE, and the U.S. delegation will be led by Michael Beeman, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and APEC. In the upcoming meeting, the two sides date2018-01-26