New Trade Chief: "Industry Is in a Wartime Situation... No Time to Change Trade Organization"

Yoon Administration's First Trade Chief... Leading Domestic Expert in Trade and Economics
Challenges Pile Up Immediately After Inauguration... Must Apply for CPTPP Membership and Push Negotiations
"Time Is of the Essence... Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Must Act as a 'Trade One Team'"

Professor An Deok-geun of Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies, appointed as the first Chief Trade Negotiator of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
[Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Junhyung] “The industry is currently in a state of war. That is why the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must quickly unite as a ‘trade one team’ rather than competing over trade jurisdiction.”

Professor An Deokgeun of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies, appointed as the first trade chief of the Yoon Seokyeol administration, stated this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 10th. President Yoon nominated Professor An as the head of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy the day before, judging him to be the right person to lead the new government’s trade policy. The newly appointed head, An, is one of the leading trade and economic experts in South Korea.

There are many challenges he must address immediately upon taking office as head of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), for which South Korea is preparing to apply for membership, is a prime example. The CPTPP is a mega free trade agreement (FTA) accounting for 15% of global trade volume. Head An must not only submit the membership application immediately after his inauguration but also push forward the accession negotiations, which are expected to take one to two years. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), led by the United States, is also expected to begin official discussions as early as the end of this month.

Government circles view this appointment as a resolution to the tug-of-war between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over trade jurisdiction. Initially, the Yoon transition team considered appointing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official as head of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters. This was because revising the Government Organization Act to transfer trade functions became difficult amid a National Assembly dominated by the opposition, making it necessary to appease the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ultimately, the new government chose an academic expert instead of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official. This decision is seen as opting for ‘stability’ amid the numerous trade challenges such as CPTPP and IPEF.

Head An also emphasized that there is no time for turf wars over trade organizations. He said, “Major countries are pursuing extreme industrial strategies, and even major companies are forced into ‘every man for himself’ situations. The government’s role is urgent, so there is no time to reorganize the trade structure.” He added, “Economic security as well as industry are important issues in the trade sector. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance must cooperate as a three-legged race.”

Employees at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are also placing their hopes on Head An. It is reported that Head An, who frequently collaborated with the ministry during his time as a professor, maintained active communication with the staff of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters. A ministry official said, “He is someone who balances theory and reality well,” and added, “We are internally relieved and optimistic.”

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