KOTRA Unveils AI Strategy on the 22nd
AI Export Assistant, Trade Centers, and FDI Chatbot
Complete Overhaul of Trade and Investment Support Systems
AI to Be Introduced and Utilized in 36 Projects in the Second Half of the Year
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on the 23rd that it had unveiled the "KOTRA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy" on the 22nd and presented 15 detailed implementation tasks to completely overhaul its export, investment, and talent attraction projects based on AI.
On the 22nd, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced the 'KOTRA AI Strategy' and presented 15 detailed implementation tasks to completely overhaul export, investment, and talent attraction projects based on AI. Kyungseong Kang, president of KOTRA, is speaking at the '3rd KOTRA AI Committee.' Provided by KOTRA.
Accordingly, KOTRA will actively apply AI to 36 trade and investment projects in the second half of this year, including providing information on overseas exhibitions, early warning for supply chains, and automating consultation records. This measure aligns with the government’s policy direction to expand the scope of AI utilization in public institutions. The government views the AI transformation as the last opportunity to leap forward as a "super-innovative leading economy" and is increasing AI investment through national policy tasks, economic growth strategies, and next year’s budget proposal. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee, launched on the 8th, also announced the "Korea AI Action Plan Implementation Direction," emphasizing the spread of AI in the private sector through public institutions’ adoption of AI.
In July, KOTRA established the "KOTRA AI Committee," chaired by President Kyungseong Kang, to strengthen its role as the AI control tower across the organization. The newly announced AI strategy was also developed by this committee. The strategy consists of three main pillars-improving AI-based trade and investment support systems, supporting the globalization of the national AI ecosystem, and expanding the agency’s use of AI-along with 15 detailed implementation tasks.
First, KOTRA stated that it would reconstruct the actual export and investment environments faced by companies using AI. The "AI Export Assistant" will support this initiative, helping companies accelerate their overseas expansion by aiding in buyer discovery and matching. The 20 Digital Trade Support Centers nationwide will be transformed into "AI Trade Centers," enabling local businesses to utilize AI for content creation and marketing. The "AI FDI Chatbot" for foreign investors will provide real-time legal and regional information to enhance investment accessibility. Additionally, starting next year, KOTRA plans to build an "Intelligent Trade and Investment Platform" over three years, allowing domestic and international clients to easily access customized AI-based services.
KOTRA also announced efforts to expand global pathways for the domestic AI industry to connect with the world market. As part of this, KOTRA will host "AI Roadshows" in countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, supporting the local entry of Korean startups at major international exhibitions. Next year, KOTRA will launch its first "Industrial AI Specialized Exhibition," with participation from over 300 global AI companies, to promote collaboration in areas such as autonomous manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure. The agency will also expand "Overseas AI Talent Attraction Bases" to actively discover AI talent and will hold "AI-focused Investment Promotion Sessions" in regions like Silicon Valley, aiming to establish a global hub where foreign capital and talent connect with Korea's AI industry.
KOTRA further stated its intention to become a testbed for AI innovation. In particular, by building a "data lake" to integrate company-wide data, establishing AI ethics guidelines, and introducing pseudonymization solutions, KOTRA aims to foster a culture of responsible AI use. Additionally, in the second half of this year, the agency plans to implement AI in 36 projects, including overseas trade office settlement, overseas exhibition information provision, and supply chain early warning systems. Notably, the "AI-based interpretation and consultation record automation" solution will be applied to major domestic and international trade and investment events in the second half of the year, such as the "Invest Korea Summit" in October and "Seoul Food in Bangkok" in November.
KOTRA President Kyungseong Kang said, "In line with the AI strategy, KOTRA will completely overhaul its trade and investment support methods by utilizing AI, and will mobilize all of its projects-including export talent, investment attraction, and information research-to actively support the globalization of the AI ecosystem. Through these efforts, we aim to contribute to Korea's goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, achieving 1 trillion dollars in exports, and leading the AI transformation in Korea’s trade and investment sector."
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