Securing Leadership in Advanced Industries with Semiconductors and AI
On June 29, Kim Jeonggwan, the nominee for Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, "I will do my utmost to overcome the current trade crisis and foster new growth engines in order to break through low growth and help South Korea leap forward as a global industrial powerhouse."
In his statement released that day, Kim said, "I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility as I have been nominated as Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at a time when there are numerous challenges, such as a major transformation of the international order, U.S. tariff measures, global supply chain restructuring, energy security, and the climate crisis."
He emphasized, "In the rapidly changing trade environment, I will establish the foundation for achieving $1 trillion in exports through strategic responses that prioritize national interests and by innovating the trade structure. I will focus on securing global leadership in advanced industries by developing next-generation technologies such as semiconductors and secondary batteries, as well as by strengthening the innovation ecosystem and new AI industries."
He continued, "I will concentrate policy capabilities on transitioning to a green industrial structure, expanding eco-friendly energy, and strengthening energy security."
Kim is a representative economic bureaucrat who has served at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Bank of Korea. He has dealt extensively with external economic policy and industrial finance, and since 2018, he has moved to the private sector, serving as CEO of Doosan Management Research Institute and president of Doosan Enerbility, where he built policy execution capabilities in the real economy in fields such as nuclear power and hydrogen.
In particular, there are expectations that, based on his real-economy experience at energy companies and his understanding of global infrastructure projects, Kim will be able to pursue practical, field-oriented policies in the areas of trade, industry, and energy in the future.
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