KOTRA, North Gyeongsang Province among 13 signatories

First provincial-level AI export marketing MOU in South Korea

Support covers market analysis and buyer matching

North Gyeongsang AI Trade Support Center helped 68 firms achieve first exports through May

Officials from KOTRA, North Gyeongsang Province and regional export-related agencies pose for a photo at the signing ceremony for the AI-based integrated overseas marketing support MOU, held at the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government on Friday. [KOTRA]
Officials from KOTRA, North Gyeongsang Province and regional export-related agencies pose for a photo at the signing ceremony for the AI-based integrated overseas marketing support MOU, held at the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government on Friday. [KOTRA]

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, known as KOTRA, will open its AI-based overseas marketing infrastructure to local governments and related agencies to help small and medium-sized enterprises in North Gyeongsang Province expand exports. The move is part of a broader push to bring AI-driven transformation to regional export operations as the government advances a growth strategy centered on five metropolitan zones and three special autonomous provinces.

KOTRA announced Monday that it signed the AI-based integrated overseas marketing support MOU with North Gyeongsang Province and 11 regional export-related agencies at the provincial government building on Friday. It is the first provincial-level AI export marketing agreement of its kind in the country.

The signing ceremony was attended by KOTRA Executive Vice President and AI Trade and Investment Division head Ahn Young-ju, North Gyeongsang Province Deputy Governor for Economy Yang Geum-hee, and representatives of all 13 signatory institutions. The participating agencies agreed to lower barriers between their individual export support programs and jointly use AI-based overseas marketing resources.

At the heart of the agreement is the expanded use of two KOTRA platforms — TriBIG, a global buyer big data platform, and BuyKorea, an online overseas marketing platform — to support companies in North Gyeongsang Province.

Through these tools, the agencies will recommend promising overseas markets and buyers tailored to individual companies and support the creation of export marketing content using generative AI. Ongoing buyer discovery and online export consultations through BuyKorea will also be offered. For regional firms with limited export experience, the arrangement provides end-to-end support covering market research, buyer matching and content production under one framework.

KOTRA said the agreement extends a proven AI-based export support model across North Gyeongsang Province. The North Gyeongsang AI Trade Support Center has helped local companies achieve their first exports and grow export performance since opening in November 2022.

The number of companies that achieved their first export through the center grew from 11 in 2023, its first year of operation, to 62 last year — a 5.6-fold increase in two years. The combined export value of supported companies rose 8.6 times over the same period, from $22,000 to $193,000.

The momentum has continued this year. The center is currently supporting 75 provincial companies in partnership with 16 overseas trade offices. As of May, 68 companies had achieved their first export, already surpassing last year's full-year total of 62.

KOTRA had earlier worked with North Gyeongsang Province, Gyeongju and others to generate first-export results, and on that basis expanded its cooperation network to seven agencies this year. It plans to use the new agreement as a springboard to roll out the AI marketing collaboration model to export-related agencies across the province.

"This agreement is aimed at spreading the government's AI-driven approach to the export operations of regional small and medium-sized enterprises," Ahn said. "We will make it easier for companies in the province to use AI-based overseas market analysis, buyer discovery and matching, and tailored export content production, contributing to tangible export growth."

KOTRA also plans to hold working-level consultations and staff training sessions for the signatory institutions. Through these, it intends to gradually expand data- and AI-based export marketing services — including overseas market analysis, buyer discovery and matching, digital content production and online consultation support — in coordination with each agency's existing export programs.


kwater@heraldcorp.com