Koo Yoon-chul: "Full Restoration of Korea-China Relations... Promoting Cultural Cooperation"

Foreign Economic Ministers' Meeting...
"Full Support for Securing $41.2 Billion in Overseas Plant Orders"

Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, is attending the Foreign Economic Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 26th, speaking about the economic achievements of the Korea-China and Korea-Japan summit meetings and plans for follow-up measures. 2026.1.26 Photo by Jo Yongjun

Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, stated on the 26th, "Our president's visit to China after nine years marks a significant achievement in fully restoring Korea-China relations and laying the foundation for future-oriented cooperation."

In his opening remarks at the Foreign Economic Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that morning, Deputy Prime Minister Koo said, "We have created a turning point by expanding the scope of cooperation beyond the traditional focus on manufacturing to areas that are more tangible to the public, such as consumer goods and services, and by broadening our cooperation channels. This has elevated the level of collaboration between our countries."

He continued, "With the establishment of shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan, both sides have agreed to deepen cooperation in advanced technology sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, and discussions have taken place to broaden and deepen collaboration in future industries. We will clearly define implementation tasks centered on summit agreements and ensure seamless follow-up measures through inter-ministerial cooperation."

Referring to international discussions on critical minerals, he said, "With the spread of AI and the advancement of high-tech industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries, the strategic importance of critical minerals is increasing, and international discussions to stabilize supply chains are becoming more intensive. We will actively participate in these international discussions, concretize the direction of global cooperation, and systematically manage these efforts through public-private partnerships."

He also announced, "The government will provide full support to help the industry achieve its goal of securing $41.2 billion in overseas plant orders."

Deputy Prime Minister Koo added, "We will consistently implement support measures for overseas plant orders at every stage, from the business development phase and resolving difficulties during negotiations and contract processes, to the execution phase after contracts are secured."