Foreign Investment Ombudsman Discusses Regulatory Improvements for 70 European Foreign-Invested Companies

ECCK White Paper Delivered
Recommendations Include Automobiles, New Drugs, and Energy
Surge in Calls for Offshore Wind Regulation Easing, 17 Issues Improved Last Year

The Foreign Investment Ombudsman has joined forces with the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) to improve the business environment for European foreign-invested companies.

On September 29, the Foreign Investment Ombudsman announced that it had received the "2025 ECCK White Paper" from the ECCK and would review the key recommendations in cooperation with relevant government ministries.

The Foreign Investment Ombudsman is an official organization that addresses various difficulties faced by foreign-invested companies operating in Korea and supports institutional improvements. Established in 1990, it has had a dedicated organization within the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) since 1998, working to protect the rights and interests of foreign-invested companies and promote investment.

The ECCK collects recommendations from its member companies and publishes a white paper every year, which it submits to the Ombudsman and the government. This year’s white paper contains a total of 70 recommendations across 17 sectors, including automobiles, healthcare, energy and environment, chemicals, intellectual property rights, and human resources.

Key issues include improving the system for eco-friendly medium and large vehicles, expanding access to innovative new drugs, and easing regulations on renewable energy. Notably, the number of recommendations related to offshore wind power has increased significantly compared to the previous year.

The Ombudsman also released the status of last year’s white paper. Of the 73 issues submitted in 2024, 17 have been resolved or are in the process of being resolved, while 29 are under review by relevant ministries. The remaining issues will continue to be discussed in cooperation with the ECCK.

Kim Doosik, the Foreign Investment Ombudsman, stated, "Foreign-invested companies contribute to our economy and future innovation by stabilizing supply chains, transferring technology, and creating jobs. We will actively review the white paper’s recommendations with the relevant ministries to continue improving the business environment."

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