Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 24th, "To sustain the global craze for K-food, the government will push a global K-food project backed by the state with a goal of $1.5 billion in exports by 2030."
At a meeting of ministers on current state affairs held on the 24th at the Samyang Foods Miryang plant in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, Kim said, "The food industry is no longer a domestic-demand industry; it is becoming the face of Korea representing K-culture," and stated accordingly.
He added, "Beyond pioneering new markets through support for overseas certification and marketing, we will build logistics infrastructure, protect intellectual property rights, and establish a one-stop support system to create an environment where corporations can focus solely on exports," and "We will also strengthen linkages with outstanding K-culture and push technological innovation together, including support for Foodtech."
Kim also said, "We will provide full support so that food corporations can compete confidently in the global market with pride."
Kim said, "Manufacturing is the root of our economy and the backbone of growth, and manufacturing underpins not only exports but also regional economies and job creation," adding, "However, it faces internal and external crises of global uncertainty and structural limits."
He continued, "Digital artificial intelligence (AI) transition and innovation to overcome this are not a choice but a necessity," adding, "By 2030, we plan to introduce an additional 12,000 AI-based smart factories and establish an industrial system to actively promote a great AI transition in our manufacturing."
Kim said, "We will support AI transitions tailored to different levels and regions, spread large-small company win-win type smart factories, and support intelligence and automation down to small corporations and small processes," adding, "We will introduce a designation system for specialized corporations and establish a system to foster smart manufacturing projects, backing growth into global specialized corporations through step-by-step customized support from startup to overseas expansion."
Kim added, "The strength of our proud K-food can grow when smart institutional innovation based on AI goes hand in hand," and "For policy synergy, I ask for close cooperation among the relevant ministries."