The Korean government has unveiled its Sixth National Standards Master Plan, a five-year blueprint covering 2026–2030, jointly developed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and 17 other ministries and agencies. With a total investment of approximately KRW 1.49 trillion (roughly USD 1.08 billion), the plan positions standardization as a core instrument of industrial competitiveness and technology diplomacy. The plan is built around four strategic pillars: 1. Leading Standards in Future Industries and AI Korea has identified 18 priority sectors for international standardizat
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
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Kingdom of Netherlands held the first Korea–Netherlands 2+2 Foreign and Industry High-Level Dialogue on February 11 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Seoul. On the ROK side were Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Aukje de Vries represented the Netherlands. As both countries are bound by a Strategic Partnership, the dialogue addresses political, economic, and industr
President Lee Jae-myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae on January 19 and agreed to significantly strengthen their strategic partnership in advanced manufacturing and future core technology sectors. Through this meeting, the two nations established a concrete cooperation framework for their public institutions and private-sector companies with the signing of an "MOU on Semiconductor Cooperation" drawing the most attention. The agreements are interpreted as demonstrating both nations' resolve to strengthen cooperation amid the global semiconductor supply