logo
KOTRA, AMCHAM to cooperate on regulatory reform, S. Korea-US trade

KOTRA, AMCHAM to cooperate on regulatory reform, S. Korea-US trade

Korea Herald15-05-2025
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Thursday formed a strategic partnership to promote regulatory reform and boost bilateral trade between South Korea and the United States, the organizations said.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed on the day, the two organizations agreed to collaborate on promoting regulatory reform and support initiatives that advance the US-Korea economic partnership. They will set up a joint working-level committee to identify and recommend regulatory improvements to this end.
The two sides also plan to co-host briefings, exhibitions and export consultations while continuing to explore new opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment.
"We hope this partnership with AMCHAM will serve as a valuable bridge for Korean small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to enter the US market," KOTRA Chief Executive Officer Kang Kyung-sung said.
James Kim, chairman and CEO of AMCHAM, said the partnership represents a key step forward in reducing non-tariff barriers in bilateral trade and strengthening South Korea's position as a premier regional business hub. (Yonhap)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Outgoing Indian envoy, Herald CEO discuss India-Korea ties
Outgoing Indian envoy, Herald CEO discuss India-Korea ties

Korea Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Outgoing Indian envoy, Herald CEO discuss India-Korea ties

Outgoing Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar and Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young underscored deepening India-Korea ties in a courtesy meeting on Wednesday. They discussed bilateral dimensions and mutual perceptions amid global economic uncertainties, with Kumar praising the Herald Media Group's commercial forums and events for connecting Korean and Indian businesses. 'I'll leave a note for my successor,' Kumar said, referring to Herald Media Group events and content such as the Hello India series, which helped bridge the information gap between Korea, India and the wider world. He cited HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering's memorandum of understanding with India's largest state-owned shipbuilder, Cochin Shipyard Limited, for long-term cooperation in the shipbuilding value chain. "In green hydrogen, we have known four companies, four Indian companies, which are accredited by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy," Kumar added. Choi urged deeper strategic cooperation and stronger economic diplomacy between India and Korea to ensure future economic security, while thanking Kumar for his efforts in boosting ties and hosting the India-Korea Business Partnership Forum in November 2024. 'India and Korea together can respond to global challenges more effectively,' said Choi, suggesting ways to 'strengthen networks' for strategic goals through stronger economic diplomacy. Kumar will return to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi after completing his tenure in South Korea this month. sanjaykumar@

New chiefs named for antitrust, financial oversight
New chiefs named for antitrust, financial oversight

Korea Herald

time7 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

New chiefs named for antitrust, financial oversight

President Lee Jae Myung unveiled a sweeping reshuffle of top economic and regulatory posts, nominating a mix of veteran policymakers and academics to lead agencies that set the country's market and financial agenda. Ju Biung-ghi, an economics professor at Seoul National University, was tapped to head the Fair Trade Commission, the country's antitrust watchdog. A University of Rochester-trained economist, Ju has advised the presidential National Economic Advisory Council and led the Korean Association of Applied Economics. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said the nominee is expected to 'meticulously implement the administration's economic philosophy of eradicating chronic unfair practices, such as subcontracting abuses, collusion and insider transactions, and establishing a fair market order' as the new chief of the nation's 'economic prosecutor.' Lee Eog-weon, a former first vice finance minister and macroeconomic strategist, was nominated to chair the Financial Services Commission, the country's top financial regulator. Known for guiding the economy through the pandemic and advancing innovation-led growth, Lee also served as the first Korean chair of a WTO domestic regulation working group. His policy track record spans international finance, market regulation and structural economic reform, giving him rare crossover expertise in both fiscal management and capital market oversight. The government said he will be tasked with balancing market stability with reform while expanding consumer protections. After nominating a new Financial Services Commission chair, the agency held an emergency meeting Wednesday to recommend attorney Lee Chan-jin as governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, a post that would make him the administration's first chief of the watchdog once confirmed. A classmate of President Lee Jae Myung at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he built his career as a labor rights advocate, serving in leadership roles at Lawyers for a Democratic Society and People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. He also represented the president in a high-profile case involving alleged illicit payments to North Korea. Separately, the government promoted internal candidates to lead two other agencies: Baek Seung-bo as commissioner of the Public Procurement Service and Ahn Hyung-jun as commissioner of Statistics Korea.

DIGITIMES ASIA: Asia's moment in the AI age: APAC rises as infrastructure powerhouse at OCP, Taiwan forges global tech ties
DIGITIMES ASIA: Asia's moment in the AI age: APAC rises as infrastructure powerhouse at OCP, Taiwan forges global tech ties

Korea Herald

time8 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

DIGITIMES ASIA: Asia's moment in the AI age: APAC rises as infrastructure powerhouse at OCP, Taiwan forges global tech ties

TAIPEI, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As AI infrastructure continues to reshape global supply chains, the Open Compute Project (OCP) APAC Summit held in Taipei on August 5, 2025, highlighted the Asia-Pacific region's expanding role in the development and deployment of open hardware technologies. Speakers from the OCP Foundation and Taiwan's tech industry emphasized the region's growing contributions to AI data center infrastructure and its significance in future technology roadmaps. Cliff Grossner, Chief Innovation Officer at the OCP Foundation, opened the summit by calling APAC an "extremely vibrant community," noting that participation from the region's corporate members has reached record levels. "Thirty percent of our corporate members now come from APAC," he said, highlighting that the region accounts for nearly 40% of OCP-certified data center-ready facilities and 28% of its experience centers. APAC emerges as OCP's growth engine Grossner pointed out that Asia's engagement with OCP goes far beyond attendance or certification—it's increasingly a source of technical leadership. Over the past year, 20% of contributions to OCP projects included an APAC-based corporate member. APAC is also the dominant marketplace for future infrastructure spending: IDC projects that 36% of the over US$190 billion in OCP-related equipment spending will come from this region. Grossner credited this surge to the region's urgent push to deploy scalable AI data center solutions, a need being accelerated by government policy, hyperscaler investment, and hardware innovation. He also confirmed OCP's plans to return to Taipei in 2026. "It's because of you that I can make that statement," he told the audience. "We'll be back next year." While Grossner framed APAC as an emerging tech engine, DIGITIMES Chairman and CEO Colley Hwang provided the local blueprint. Taiwan anchors global tech manufacturing In a keynote titled "AI Supply Chain Reinvent: Building a Better Eco-System," Hwang argued that Taiwan is no longer merely supporting the global tech industry—it is quietly anchoring it. "Taiwan has the best infrastructure in the world for the tech sector," Hwang said, pointing to a vast web of factories, suppliers, and engineering talent that together form an ecosystem unparalleled in scale and integration. The data he presented reveals Taiwan's central role: Taiwan (China) is the origin of 26% of the US server imports and 40% of China's, even when final assembly occurs in countries like Mexico or Vietnam. TSMC now accounts for more than 90% of the world's AI chip production, placing Taiwan at the center of the AI compute stack. He also noted that Taiwan's economy is structurally distinct. While most advanced nations are demand-side driven, Taiwan's economy is 38% reliant on manufacturing, compared to just 10% in the United States. "It's not about consumption—it's about capability," he said. Hardware drives AI evolution Beyond hardware, Hwang highlighted Taiwan's design innovation strength, claiming that its design industry is ten times the scale of South Korea's, despite having less than half its population. Taiwan's top eight server manufacturers operate more than 120 production sites globally, reflecting a global manufacturing footprint built through decades of specialization. Hwang aimed popular Silicon Valley narratives, suggesting that while "AI is eating software," in practice, "hardware will eat AI." As AI workloads push the boundaries of memory, bandwidth, and heat, performance gains increasingly depend not on algorithms alone, but on foundry technologies, advanced packaging, and system integration. Taiwan's golden decade ahead Hwang also offered a broader perspective on the global semiconductor market, arguing that the true value of the ecosystem—when accounting for foundries, fabless players, equipment makers, and materials suppliers—already exceeds US$1 trillion, a milestone often underreported. Looking ahead, Hwang predicted that Taiwan is entering a "golden age" lasting at least 10 years, driven by its manufacturing base, dense industrial clusters, and commitment to long-term reinvestment. He described Taiwan as a "small potato" and a "humble partner"—a role that emphasizes contribution over dominance. He urged global players, including OCP members, to "come to Taiwan more often," noting that firms like TSMC and Foxconn reinvest nearly 100% of their net profits into partnerships and infrastructure development. Asia's impact on AI infrastructure is only just beginning. The conversation will continue at the upcoming OCP Global Summit, where global hyperscalers, open hardware pioneers, and policy leaders will shape the next phase of AI-driven innovation. For a deeper dive into rack-scale server design and thermal breakthroughs shared at OCP APAC, read our companion article here — available with your trial.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store