The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced on March 19 that MOTIR Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim visited Beijing on March 18, 2026, and held successive Korea–China ministerial meetings on commerce and industry.

Minister Kim first met with Wang Wentao, China’s Minister of Commerce, and agreed to focus on implementing the agreements reached by the two leaders and stabilizing supply chains amid rapid shifts in the global trade environment. In the event of logistics delays or raw material shortages, the two countries will immediately activate communication channels, including the supply chain hotline, and coordinate a joint response. For critical items such as rare earths and permanent magnets, they will use the export control dialogue and expedited and standardized licensing arrangements to improve predictability in bilateral supply chains.

On trade, the two ministers discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation into new areas, including consumer goods, by leveraging China’s drive to boost domestic demand. They agreed to increase business engagement through exchange events and trade fairs with China’s major economic provinces. The Korea–China FTA Joint Committee will be convened in the first half of 2026 to work toward practical outcomes in the services and investment negotiations. The two sides also recognized the need for effective measures to protect Korean music, films, and other intellectual property in China, including through the resumption of the intellectual property implementation committee.

Minister Kim then held the fifth Korea–China Industrial Ministers’ Meeting with Li Lecheng, China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology. It was the first Korea–China industrial ministerial meeting in four years since the virtual meeting in January 2022, and the first in-person meeting in eight years since the Seoul meeting in May 2018. Recognizing how the structure of Korea–China industrial cooperation has evolved, the two ministers agreed that future cooperation should move toward a more equal and mutually beneficial footing. They will deepen cooperation in advanced sectors such as semiconductors and batteries, while exploring new opportunities in the green transition of industry and the silver economy.

The two sides also discussed ways to stabilize the tightly interconnected industrial and supply chains in the battery sector. In semiconductors, which account for 26 percent of bilateral trade, they will step up policy communication and actively support the smooth operation of Korean semiconductor plants in China. The two sides acknowledged the need for cooperation on the green transition of industry and the silver economy in response to the common challenges of climate change and population aging. To that end, they will exchange technologies and experience and promote cooperation between companies and research institutions. They will also share experience in building industrial supply chain data platforms as a digital foundation for the green transition of industry.

Minister Kim stressed that although competition between the two countries’ industrial sectors has intensified, the mutual benefits of cooperation remain unchanged. He called for continued efforts to identify promising areas for cooperation and address shared challenges together.