Experts from Microsoft, Amazon Leo and other global firms take part
More than 100 executives from Korea-based companies attend
KITA chief vows active support for Korean firms entering US market
The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) held the second KITA Innovation Forum — themed "US Industrial Innovation Trends" — at the COEX Startup Branch on Monday.
The forum focused on the United States as the center of the global advanced technology market, aiming to help Korean trade industry players track local innovation trends and map out strategies for market entry and business expansion. More than 100 people attended, including KITA President Yoon Jin-sik, American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea) Chairman James Kim, and executives from companies pursuing US market entry and digital transformation.
In his congratulatory remarks, AMCHAM Korea Chairman James Kim said AI is reshaping industries and the global competitive landscape, creating greater opportunities for Korea-US industrial cooperation than ever before. "We will continue to serve as a bridge between the two countries so that America's AI and software capabilities and Korea's manufacturing strengths can translate into real business cooperation," he said.
The forum opened with a keynote address on US innovation industry trends and market-entry strategies, followed by expert presentations on AI laws and regulation, AI adoption and frontier firms, and low-earth-orbit satellite communications.
Kim Beom-su, chief executive of Quantum Prime Ventures, said in his keynote that the restructuring of US innovation industries is changing even the criteria companies use to select suppliers. "Differentiating yourself based solely on publicly available information — industry news, research notes and the like — is difficult," Kim said. "Decision-makers need to build relationships directly with local partners and prepare their market-entry strategies from a medium- to long-term perspective."
Jang Eun-jin, an attorney at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee who led the AI law and regulation session, said the spread of AI is affecting not only existing products and services but also the broader legal and regulatory framework. "Technological implementation does not automatically lead to commercialization," Jang said. "Licensing requirements and user-protection obligations that vary by state and city must be reviewed from the product design stage."
Presentations on corporate innovation through AI and next-generation communications technology followed. Yoon Seong-eui, a senior executive at Microsoft Korea, emphasized the shift toward "frontier firms" where AI and humans work side by side. "What determines the success of AI adoption is not individual capability but systemic factors such as organizational culture and managerial support — company-wide transformation must accompany it," Yoon said.
Yoon Hyeon-woo, chief executive of Amazon Leo, said low-earth-orbit satellite communications represent next-generation communications infrastructure that transcends geographic barriers in maritime and mountainous areas. "It will also contribute to the innovation and global competitiveness of Korean companies with strong technology," Yoon said.
KITA President Yoon Jin-sik said accurately tracking the rapidly shifting currents of innovation in advanced technology industries and responding proactively is an essential task for Korean exporters. "KITA will continue to actively support our companies' innovative growth and successful entry into the US market," Yoon said.
Meanwhile, KITA has been actively supporting Korean companies in expanding into global markets across various sectors, including a recent dispatch of a "K-consumer goods economic cooperation mission" to the UAE and Morocco.
likehyo85@heraldcorp.com
