Mid-sized Enterprises: "Industrial Competitiveness Must Be Secured Through Rapid AI Transformation"

Mid-sized Enterprise CEO Luncheon Lecture with Minister Kim Jeong-Kag of Trade, Industry and Energy

The mid-sized enterprise sector has expressed the view that in order to turn the momentum from the dramatic conclusion of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations into an opportunity for economic revitalization, it is essential to accelerate the enhancement of industrial competitiveness through the rapid adoption of AI transformation (AX) across all industries.

Choi Jin-sik, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises, made this statement at the "190th Mid-sized Enterprise CEO Luncheon Lecture Invited by Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy," hosted by the Federation at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on November 3. Chairman Choi emphasized, "Following the resolution of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, to strengthen Korea's ability to respond to crises in a newly restructured global economic environment, we must expedite an industrial AI transformation by enhancing innovation capabilities through proactive AX and building a data-driven smart manufacturing ecosystem."

At the "190th Mid-sized Enterprise CEO Luncheon Lecture Invited by Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy," Choi Jin-sik, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises (eighth from the left in the front row), Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (ninth from the left in the front row), and mid-sized business owners are posing for a commemorative photo. Korea Federation of Mid-sized Enterprises

Chairman Choi continued, "As evidenced by the successful summit with President Trump, who concluded the difficult tariff negotiations, as well as the dialogue with President Xi Jinping, which restored balanced communication with China, the government's 'pragmatic' policy direction, clearly demonstrated during the diplomatic super week at APEC, must be expanded across all sectors." He added, "It is time to pool wisdom from all sectors to create an open ecosystem, which is key to AI development, and to invigorate related industries through infrastructure, hardware, and software, as well as forward-looking regulatory reforms, in pursuit of a new 'pragmatic' AI policy innovation."

Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, delivered a keynote speech on the theme of "The New Age of Exploration." He stated, "Just as the advent of the compass in the 15th century ushered in the Age of Exploration, transforming the global map of wealth and power, we must actively chart new courses for this era of change, guided by a deep understanding of AI, which is today’s compass for the global market." He further pledged, "As AX is at the core of strengthening industrial competitiveness, we will actively support mid-sized enterprises in enhancing their capabilities and securing new growth engines through AX."

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