A policy suggestion was made that export control activities, including research cooperation with other countries, should be managed as export control targets and that the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy should respond together to export control measures. This comes in light of increasing global trade risks and uncertainty in supply chains, highlighting the growing need for strategies to minimize economic security risks.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated on the 18th that this suggestion was made during the final report meeting of the 'Trade Security Research Group,' chaired by Jeong In-gyo, head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters, at the Seoul Press Center. Experts from various fields, including academia, research, and law, within the Trade Security Research Group examined trade and technology security issues and implications through three subcommittees: export control, economic sanctions, and technology security, before presenting these policy response tasks.
The research group diagnosed that 'recent enhancements in export controls have led to the refinement of circumvention techniques like indirect exports, while the outflow of core technologies through personnel has also been increasing.' They suggested that the current export control law enforcement system should be strengthened, and a comprehensive export control strategy should be established that manages research cooperation activities with other countries and personnel exchanges between countries as export control targets.
The research group assessed the economic sanctions, stating that 'countries are introducing and strengthening various measures, including export controls, financial sanctions, and investment restrictions, for economic security.' They added that 'South Korea also needs to strengthen support, such as establishing a joint response system between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which is in charge of export controls and foreign investment screening, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which handles financial sanctions, or providing education on global sanction trends targeting small and medium-sized enterprises.'
The research group analyzed the technology security sector, stating that 'the awareness and management system in academia and research circles are very vulnerable compared to the damage and impact caused by the outflow of core technologies.' They suggested that proactive protective measures should be established during the research phase of national research and development projects and that there should be strengthened field inspections of institutions holding core technologies.
Meanwhile, the Trade Security Research Group decided to establish the Korea Trade Security Association to enhance in-depth research on trade and technology security. The president of the association will be Noh Jae-bong, former head of the Research Coordination Office at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
Jeong In-gyo, head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters, emphasized at the report meeting that 'the government will reflect the policy suggestions presented by the research group today and specifically implement them, including institutional improvements.'