The Ministry of Industry Changes Head After 3 Months... Andeokgeun Says "Supply Chain Stability"

First Day at Work After Nomination of Candidate Ahn

Candidate for Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ahn Deok-geun, stated on the 18th that he will "promptly stabilize the supply chain" in response to the supply chain instability issue, which is considered the most urgent task for the new minister.

On the same day, as he arrived at the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where a temporary office was set up, Ahn said, "The government will prepare alternatives to secure key items as much as possible."

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy nominee Andeok Geun is answering reporters' questions while on his way to the nominee office at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 18th. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

Regarding other major issues, he emphasized, "We will further solidify the recently recovered export growth," and "We will strengthen energy security, the most essential foundation for fostering advanced industries, and swiftly enhance industrial adaptability to carbon neutrality." Until now, Ahn has handled major industrial and trade issues such as responding to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and his appointment is interpreted as a move to maintain continuity in economic security affairs.

In his statement on the day before his nomination, Ahn said, "If I am confirmed through the confirmation hearing and inaugurated as minister, I will revitalize our economy and corporate management," adding, "Based on my global trade experience, I will organically link industrial and energy policies and listen carefully to the voices of companies competing in the global market and those in the policy field."

At the same time, given the unusual situation where the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is welcoming a new head within just three months, he must also focus on 'organizational stability.' Reflecting this, on his first day at work, he said, "Having worked at the ministry for one year and seven months as the head of the Trade Negotiations Office, I will stabilize the organization as much as possible and manage policies steadily to alleviate concerns in the industrial sector."

Early normalization of the nuclear power ecosystem and overcoming the financial crisis of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) are also pressing tasks. Although the construction of Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4, which was canceled by the Moon Jae-in administration, has resumed and the nuclear phase-out policy is being abandoned, many challenges remain, including the continued operation of 10 nuclear reactors whose operating licenses expire by 2029, new nuclear power plant construction, export of 10 nuclear reactors, and legislation for the introduction of high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. Adjustments to public energy prices such as electricity and gas, as well as expansion of the power grid linked to fostering advanced industries like semiconductors, are also urgent issues to be addressed.

Ahn, who was the first head of the Trade Negotiations Office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, was nominated as the successor to Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Beom-ki the day before. Ahn graduated from Daegu Deokwon High School and Seoul National University with a degree in International Economics. He earned doctoral degrees in Economics and Law from the University of Michigan in the United States and has served as a professor at Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies and the Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management. He also served as an expert member of the Economic Division 1 of the 18th Presidential Transition Committee. If Ahn passes the confirmation hearing, he will become the first minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to have come from the Trade Negotiations Office.

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