Yeohan-gu, New Chief of Trade Negotiations, "Will Actively Respond to Ensure Environmental Regulations Do Not Become Trade Barriers for Korean Companies"

'From Negotiation-Type to National Wealth Creation-Type' Expanding the Scope of Trade
Early Implementation of RCEP and Active Consideration of CPTPP Membership

Yeohan-gu, Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (File photo)
Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Yeo Han-gu, the new head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated on the 9th, "We will actively respond to ensure that environmental regulations do not become new trade barriers for our companies."

In his inaugural speech that day, Yeo said, "We will accelerate the transition to carbon neutrality by 2050, an irreversible trend, and to a green economy."

First, he diagnosed that global trade is facing a rapid paradigm shift. Yeo emphasized, "We will boldly discard the old framework of 'this is what trade policy is' that we have held until now," and added, "We must respond newly, creatively, and agilely by thinking out of the box."

Yeo presented the direction for South Korea's trade as ▲expanding the scope of trade ▲exercising global trade leadership ▲cultivating integrative trade talents. He explained, "We will boldly expand the scope of trade from the previous 'negotiation-type trade' to 'national wealth creation-type trade' and push forward," and "Together with our companies engaged in fierce global competition, we will form 'One Team Korea' to further enhance the competitiveness of our industry."

He also emphasized exercising global leadership as an advanced trading nation. He said, "We will take a leading role in forming a new multilateral economic and trade order in the Asia-Pacific region, which will be a key axis of future global economic growth," and "We will closely cooperate with major countries for the launch of a regional multilateral digital agreement, actively pursue the early implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and actively consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)."

He also pledged to cultivate first-class trade experts to prepare for the long-term future. Yeo said, "To actively respond to the paradigm shift in global trade, we need 'integrative trade talents' who can cover industry, technology, supply chains, vaccines, exports, investment, and energy," and added, "We will place talents appropriately regardless of seniority or rank, widely and diversely utilize the talent pool of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters, and create an environment to nurture first-class trade experts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.