Minister Kim Jungkwan Says US Visit Schedule Being Coordinated... Details Expected Tomorrow

Emphasizing a Cautious Approach
to the Establishment of the Ministry of Climate and Energy
and the Transfer of the Shipbuilding Industry

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jungkwan stated regarding his planned visit to the United States for tariff negotiations, "Discussions are currently underway, and I should be able to provide more details around tomorrow (the 22nd)."

Meeting with reporters immediately after his inauguration ceremony on the 21st, Minister Kim said, "While the chief trade negotiator is directly at the negotiation table, there are areas that either I or the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs can cover. This is intended to enhance our negotiating power through a division of roles," he explained.

As the possibility of a '2+2 trade consultation,' in which the heads of finance and industry ministries from both countries participate in negotiations, is being raised, Minister Kim also appears to be preparing for high-level contacts in line with this development.

Regarding the government reorganization, such as the establishment of a 'Ministry of Climate and Energy,' Minister Kim said, "It is clearly a presidential pledge, and there is a definite need for policy momentum to address climate change." However, he added, "Since energy, trade, and industry are closely interconnected, we are discussing the matter closely with the National Policy Planning Committee."

In response to concerns that "closed-door discussions are taking place without a public consensus process," Minister Kim said, "We will discuss with the National Policy Planning Committee to ensure that the position of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is fully reflected," and added, "We will make efforts to ensure that a public consensus process can take place going forward."

Regarding the argument that the shipbuilding and offshore plant industries should be transferred to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Minister Kim made his negative stance clear, saying, "Shipbuilding is an industry that is more about the convergence of materials, parts, equipment, machinery, and digital technology than about shipping."

He emphasized, "Japan once integrated shipping and shipbuilding but failed to create synergy and lost its shipbuilding competitiveness as a result. We should learn from such cases and make a prudent decision."

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