The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) held the 2026 Inside Honda showcase and business meeting at a Honda research and development center in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on October 15. Thirty South Korean companies working in software-defined vehicles (SDVs), autonomous driving, automotive electronics and

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) held the 2026 North American Auto Parts Strategic Business Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, on October 13. Forty-one South Korean auto parts makers held 198 one-on-one business meetings with 32 companies, including major North American automakers such as GM, Ford and S

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources launched a public-private task force (TF) on October 15 to respond to the European Union’s (EU) Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). Major industry groups and companies in the automotive, battery and steel sectors, along with relevant government ministries, are par

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on October 12 ordered a thorough investigation and strict action following reports that workers at automotive battery maker DN Automotive’s Ulsan plant had repeatedly been given chelation injections to remove lead from their bodies after being told they were vitamin injections.
Ac

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced that the amended Act on Response to and Support for Changes in the Trade Environment and related regulations would take effect on October 22, 2026.
Previously, support was limited to companies adversely affected, or at risk of being adversely affected,

South Korea's Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City announced that it had been selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' 2026 automotive parts circular economy infrastructure project and secured KRW 9.9 billion in central government funding.
The city plans to invest a total of KRW 45 billion over five years

South Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination announced on November 2 that it plans to ease environmental change procedures for battery recyclers as part of a regulatory reform package to enhance competitiveness. At present, even minor process changes involving some of the wastes or chemicals handled in bat

South Korea's Ministry of Government Legislation announced on November 2 that amendments to the Clean Air Conservation Act strengthening the management of electric vehicle (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle charging facilities will take effect on November 12.
Charging facility operators will be required to register

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced on November 3 that the Cabinet approved amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Support for the Return of Overseas Korean Enterprises. The amendments ease eligibility for recognition as a returning company. Products or services made at overs

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources launched the “Automotive Semiconductor One Team Task Force” on October 21, 2026, to provide integrated support from automotive semiconductor development through mass production.
The task force operates under a division of the M.AX Alliance, which promotes the AI

The South Korean government plans to comprehensively develop the regulatory framework for the operation, sales, services and data security of driverless autonomous vehicles ahead of their commercialization. Measures to improve autonomous driving regulations were presented at the second plenary meeting of the presiden

Incheon Metropolitan City in South Korea announced its “Incheon AI Connected Mobility Future Vision” on October 27, 2026. It will develop an “AI Connected Mobility Science Park” centered on the Cheongna area to create a hub bringing together companies, universities and research institutes.
It also plans to pursue an

The South Korean government plans to strengthen its management of automotive urea stockpiles. At a meeting of the Supply Chain Stabilization Committee on October 12, 2026, it outlined plans to revise the stockpiling system under which private companies store government reserves, as part of measures to address supply

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has instructed relevant government ministries not to pursue an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2026, according to a government announcement on October 8.
The CPTPP is a free trade agreement that establishes c

The South Korean government will ease import approval requirements for tempered glass used in automotive displays. Currently, tempered glass for automotive display cover windows is assigned the same Harmonized System (HS) code as tempered glass for aircraft and spacecraft, requiring import approval from the Korea Aer

The South Korean government announced its Korea Green Transformation (K-GX) strategy covering the ten-year period from 2026 to 2035. In the transport sector, it aims to increase the combined share of electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in new vehicle sales to at least 70% by 2035. To support this

The South Korean government announced the “Second Round of Field-Oriented Measures to Support Corporate Investment and Innovation.” By streamlining administrative procedures and easing regulations, the government aims to accelerate corporate investment projects totaling KRW 7.9 trillion (approximately USD 5.9 billion

Reported on October 3, 2026, the Thai Prime Minister stated that Thailand is ready to welcome increased South Korean investment and advance bilateral economic cooperation during the 2026 ROK National Day reception on October 2.
South Korea is one of Thailand’s major trading partners, while Korean investment continues

On September 30, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources held a ceremony at Hyundai Mobis headquarters to sign business agreements on cooperation to build a next-generation vehicle ecosystem. As part of the AI Future Vehicle Division of the M.AX Alliance, an industry-academia-government-research organ

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced that it will strengthen supply chain cooperation in critical minerals and other areas with five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—following the first Korea-Central Asia Summit held in Seoul from Se