Korea International Trade Association holds 2nd KITA Innovation Forum at COEX: “Reshaping of U.S. innovation industries has changed even supplier selection criteria”

[Financial News] The Korea International Trade Association held the 2nd KITA Innovation Forum – U.S. Industrial Innovation Trends on the 2nd at the KITA Startup Branch at COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul. The forum focused on the United States, a hub of the global high-tech market, and was organized to help the trading industry examine local trends in industrial innovation and develop strategies for entering the market and expanding their businesses.
According to the Korea International Trade Association, around 100 people attended the forum, including its president, Jin-Shik Yun; James Kim, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea); and executives and employees of companies pursuing U.S. expansion and digital transformation.
In his congratulatory remarks, James Kim, chairman of AMCHAM Korea, said, “As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries across the board and the global competitive landscape, opportunities for industrial cooperation between Korea and the United States are greater than ever. We will continue to serve as a bridge between the two countries so that U.S. AI and software capabilities and Korea’s manufacturing strengths can lead to practical business cooperation.”
Following a keynote address on “U.S. Innovation Industry Trends and Market Entry Strategies,” presentations covered a range of fields, including AI law and regulatory trends, AI adoption and frontier companies, and low-Earth-orbit satellite communications.
In his keynote address, Kim Beom-soo, CEO of Quantum Prime Ventures, stressed, “The reshaping of U.S. innovation industries is changing even the criteria companies use to select suppliers. It is difficult to differentiate yourself using only publicly available information, such as industry news and reports, so decision-makers need to build relationships directly with local partners and prepare market-entry strategies with a medium- to long-term perspective.”
During the session on AI law and regulation, Jang Eun-jin, an attorney at Barun Law LLC, explained, “The spread of AI is affecting related legal and regulatory frameworks, beyond changing existing products and services. Since putting the technology into practice does not automatically lead to commercialization, companies should consider permit and licensing requirements and user-protection obligations in each target location, including at the state and city levels, from the product-design stage.”
Yoon Seong, an executive at Microsoft Korea, emphasized the shift toward “frontier companies” where AI and humans work together, advising, “The success of AI adoption depends more on systems such as organizational culture and management support than on individual capabilities, so companywide change must happen alongside it.”
Yoon Hyun-woo, CEO of Amazon Leo, said, “Low-Earth-orbit satellite communications are next-generation communications infrastructure that can overcome geographical limitations in places such as offshore and mountainous areas, and will also contribute to innovation and stronger global competitiveness among Korean companies with outstanding technology.”
President Jin-Shik Yun said, “Accurately understanding the fast-changing innovation trends in high-tech industries and responding proactively is essential for our exporting companies. The Korea International Trade Association will continue to actively support our companies’ innovative growth and successful expansion into the United States.”
[email protected] Kim Dong-chan Reporter