KOTRA Sets 915.2 Billion Won Budget for Next Year... All-Out Effort Toward ‘1 Trillion Dollar Export Era’

Main Budget Increased from 666.7 Billion Won This Year
New Projects to Support Export Companies
Export Market Diversification and Focus on the Global South

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has surpassed 900 billion won in its total budget for the first time ever for next year.

KOTRA's main budget for next year has been set at 915.2 billion won. This year’s main budget was 666.7 billion won, and including this year’s supplementary budget, the total reached 824.5 billion won. KOTRA plans to focus all its efforts on supporting diversification of export markets, items, and players, as well as strengthening economic security functions, with the goal of advancing into the world’s top five exporters and ushering in the era of 1 trillion dollars in exports through innovation in the trade structure.

In particular, the budget for new projects supporting export companies has significantly increased. KOTRA has established the new “K-Export Star 500” program, allocating 40.2 billion won to nurture core export companies with annual exports exceeding 10 million dollars. Each year, 100 promising companies in industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and defense will be selected to receive intensive support for overseas marketing, certification, and post-R&D services. Through this initiative, KOTRA plans to foster more than 500 companies over the next five years, thereby broadening the base of exporters.

KOTRA will also accelerate the overseas expansion of K-consumer goods by building a “Korean Wave Highway” that combines the Korean Wave with exports. Notably, 49.2 billion won has been allocated to the “Support for Overseas Expansion of Distribution Companies” project, which aids the simultaneous overseas entry of domestic distribution networks and Korean Wave consumer goods, in addition to collaborating with overseas distribution channels. The plan is to actively support the export of consumer goods such as K-food and K-beauty, as well as the independent overseas expansion of large and small consumer goods distribution networks, particularly in markets with a high preference for the Korean Wave.

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

Furthermore, to diversify export markets, KOTRA will establish new overseas trade offices in Costa Rica and Kyrgyzstan, securing 42 billion won to focus on overseas exhibitions and trade missions in the Global South. By building local infrastructure and supporting marketing, KOTRA aims to lead the way in helping Korean companies enter the Global South.

As the global order rapidly shifts toward an era of economic security, KOTRA has also increased its budget to fulfill its role as an economic security institution, supporting supply chain stabilization, attracting overseas talent in advanced industries, and responding to defense and economic trade issues. In particular, the agency will provide 42.4 billion won in “emergency support vouchers” to offer services such as customs damage analysis and alternative market discovery, thereby enhancing the ability of export companies to respond to rapidly changing trade environments.

KOTRA will also greatly expand its projects aimed at stabilizing the supply chain for materials, parts, and equipment. The related budget for 2026 has increased by 667% year-on-year to 35 billion won. Notably, 29.1 billion won will be newly allocated to the “High-Risk Economic Security Items Domestic Production Promotion Project,” which will be used to reduce dependence on overseas sources for essential items in advanced industries and strengthen the domestic production base. An additional 5.9 billion won has been secured for monitoring economic security items and diversifying import sources, ensuring that KOTRA can faithfully carry out its economic security work.

In addition, as a leading AI institution, KOTRA will focus on the national AI transformation of its trade and investment system by hosting a national AI exhibition (2 billion won) and developing the “AI Export Assistant” (3.9 billion won). The agency announced that it will concentrate its organizational capabilities to support Korea’s leap into the world’s top three AI powerhouses.

Kang Kyungsung, President of KOTRA, stated, “We will do our utmost to ensure that this valuable budget translates into tangible results for export companies, so that the momentum for export growth can continue next year. In particular, we will focus all our efforts on export diversification to accelerate Korea’s rise into the world’s top five exporters and contribute to strengthening economic security.”

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