Kang Kyung-sung, KOTRA President, "Japan-Korea Cooperation Must Expand in Supply Chain Building and Advanced Industry Strengthening"

'Korea-Japan Partnership Plus Week' Held in Tokyo on the 15th
Marking the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Normalization
"We Will Do Our Best to Promote Investment and Discover Opportunities for Cooperation"
Strengthening Bilateral Industrial Cooperation Linked to the Osaka Expo
Eight MOUs Signed, Totaling 27.1 Billion KRW
Investments Worth 64 Billion KRW in Semiconductor Materials and More

Kang Kyung-sung, President of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), emphasized that the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan marks an important moment for both countries to "expand cooperation in building supply chains and strengthening competitiveness in advanced industries."

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA held the "2025 Korea-Japan Partnership Plus Week" on the 15th at the Prince Park Tower Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. Kang Kyung-sung, President of KOTRA, is delivering the opening address at the Korea-Japan Economic Cooperation Forum. Photo by KOTRA

According to KOTRA on the 16th, President Kang made these remarks in his opening address at the '2025 Korea-Japan Partnership Plus Week' held the previous day at the Prince Park Tower Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, stating, "We will do our best to further activate investment between the two countries and discover cooperation opportunities."

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA held the Korea-Japan Partnership Plus Week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan and to leverage the atmosphere of the Osaka Expo, which opened on the 13th and continues until October 13. The event began with an economic cooperation forum and proceeded with cooperation events covering export and investment sectors, including an innovation company consultation meeting, investment declaration ceremony, and investment attraction roundtable.

At the Korea-Japan Economic Cooperation Forum jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KOTRA, President Kang and Park Cheol-hee, Ambassador to Japan, delivered congratulatory messages on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization. Former Ambassador to the U.S. Ahn Ho-young (Chair Professor at Gyeongnam National University) and Nobukatsu Kanehara, former Deputy Director-General of the Cabinet Secretariat, presented measures to strengthen Korea-Japan economic security. At the investment declaration ceremony and investment attraction roundtable attended by six Japanese companies in semiconductor materials and logistics, investments totaling 44 million USD (approximately 64 billion KRW) were decided. Subsequently, at the innovation company consultation meeting jointly hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and KOTRA, 40 innovative companies in AI, digital government, and smart cities, along with 32 companies in advanced manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors and secondary batteries specializing in materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang), participated. Amid a lively consultation atmosphere, business agreements (MOUs) worth 19 million USD (approximately 2.71 billion KRW) were signed, including for secondary battery production facilities and AI-based smart poultry farming solutions. KOTRA expects that this MOU will provide Korean companies with opportunities to enter Japan’s new markets, which are undergoing industrial structural transformation known as digital transformation (DX).

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA held the "2025 Korea-Japan Partnership Plus Week" on the 15th at the Prince Park Tower Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. Participating companies are conducting one-on-one business consultations at the "Innovation Company Consultation Meeting." Photo by KOTRA

He also stressed that cooperation between Korean and Japanese companies is more important than ever due to changes in the global trade environment. In particular, he noted that Japan has recently begun to fully implement its 'advanced technology localization' strategy, expanding investments in core industries directly linked to national security, such as semiconductors, batteries, advanced materials, and AI. He expects that Japan’s approach will fundamentally reorganize economic and technological cooperation structures with neighboring countries while opening new avenues for Korean companies to enter these markets.