Korea and Japan Ready-Mixed Concrete Industries Begin Regular Exchanges, Jointly Address Key Issues

Discussion on Joint Issues Including Sales Structure, Market Stabilization, Quality Management, and Carbon Neutrality

The Korea Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation announced on April 20 that it had invited a delegation from the Japan Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Association Federation and held the "2026 Korea-Japan Ready-Mixed Concrete Associations Meeting" at the boardroom of the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul.

This meeting was organized as a follow-up to the "2026 Korea-Japan MOU for the Development of the Ready-Mixed Concrete Industry," which was signed in Tokyo, Japan in November last year. The event is expected to provide an opportunity for in-depth discussions on common challenges faced by the ready-mixed concrete industries of both countries and to further strengthen mutual cooperation.

Saito Shoichi, President of the Japan National Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Association (left), and Bae Jo-ung, President of the Korea Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation, are attending a meeting. Korea Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation

On the Korean side, Bae Jo-ung, Chairman of the Korea Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation, along with chairpersons from member cooperatives nationwide, were in attendance. On the Japanese side, Saito Shoichi, Chairman of the Japan Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Association Federation, and executives from regional federations also participated.

The meeting featured a broad exchange of views on major issues across the ready-mixed concrete industry, including: ▲ sales structures in Korea and Japan ▲ restructuring and market stabilization strategies for the industry ▲ raw material supply and pricing systems ▲ technological innovation and responses to carbon neutrality ▲ workforce supply and quality management systems.

In particular, participants compared and reviewed institutional and industrial environments in Japan and Korea, shared institutional insights between the two countries, and explored concrete possibilities for future cooperation. The Korea Ready-Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation plans to use this meeting as a starting point to establish a regular communication channel between the Korean and Japanese ready-mixed concrete industries, and to develop practical cooperation models that can jointly respond to global industrial changes and the era of carbon neutrality.

Chairman Bae Jo-ung stated, "It is significant that the MOU signed last year has not remained a mere declaration, but has led to practical exchanges such as this meeting. I hope this meeting will serve as a starting point for both countries to seek solutions together in the face of the challenges confronting the ready-mixed concrete industry, and I will continue to strive for tangible outcomes through sustained regular exchanges in the future."

Chairman Saito Shoichi also commented, "Although there are differences in the structure and environment of the ready-mixed concrete industries in Korea and Japan, the concerns and issues faced by the sector are very similar. I hope that, starting with this meeting, our cooperation will be further expanded in various areas such as technology, systems, and human exchange."

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