Since the establishment of the advanced industry standardization strategy last year, the number of international standards for advanced industries proposed by Korea has increased to an annual average of 40. That is about double the past level. The goal of appointing 300 Koreans to executive posts at international standardization organizations by 2030 is also expected to be achieved early.
Korea Standards Association President Mun Dong-min on Dec. 12 presented these details in the "status of advanced industry standard development" at the 2025 Advanced Industry Standard Leadership Forum general meeting held at the main conference room of the Hanyang Institute of Technology (HIT) at Hanyang University in Seongdong District, Seoul.
At the 2024 Advanced Industry Standard Leadership Forum held in May last year, the government announced a national standardization strategy for advanced industries. Aiming to secure a super-gap in advanced industries, the strategy includes developing about 250 international standards by 2030 and increasing the number of executives at international standardization bodies from 263 in 2023 to 300 by 2030.
According to the Standards Association, Korea's performance in proposing international standards has improved significantly since the announcement of the standardization strategy. The number of international standard proposals from Korea, which had been around 20 per year through 2023, increased to 40 per year starting last year. The share of advanced industries in total proposals also rose from 28% in 2023 to 57% last year.
Korea's leadership has also been strengthened. The number of Koreans serving as chairs, secretaries, and conveners (working group leads) in international standardization organizations increased from 263 in 2023 to 280 in 2024. As the number expanded to 293 last month, the original goal of appointing 300 executives is expected to be achieved early.
The international standards proposed by Korea span various fields such as semiconductors, future vessels, and artificial intelligence (AI). In semiconductors, an international standard related to "performance evaluation of semiconductor process components and test and inspection equipment," which standardizes the method for evaluating the transmittance of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles (a thin film that protects masks from contamination during semiconductor miniaturization processes), has been developed. The standard is credited with ensuring measurement reliability by unifying different measurement methods used by corporations.
In the future vessel field, a standard related to a "ship-shore smart ship data platform" was proposed. This standard was developed through cooperation among the three domestic shipbuilders, and is expected to improve the reliability of information exchange between ship and shore through a standardized protocol. In AI, the first international standard that can quantitatively evaluate system quality, "AI system quality assessment measurements and guidance," has been developed.
President Mun said, "I have shared the status of advanced industry standard development that has been pursued over the past year and six months thanks to the dedication of experts from industry, academia, and research," adding, "Going forward, the government and the private sector will work together to ensure the successful implementation of the national standardization strategy for advanced industries."
In the following presentation, National Institute of Technology and Standards Standard Policy Director Park Jong-seop announced the government's plan to strengthen its standard response. The National Institute of Technology and Standards is currently operating domestic response forums in 15 fields, including AI, semiconductors, and displays, and jointly developing standard drafts. The government is also pushing to establish the Sixth National Standard Master Plan (2026–2030), with 19 ministries participating, and is building a roadmap for standard development.
Policies are also being prepared to enhance the capabilities of corporations. The government is creating new standard education programs while focusing on training master's and doctoral-level experts and college-educated practitioners. It also plans to launch a portal that provides standard information to raise corporate management's awareness of standardization. In fields such as semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and displays, efforts are underway to establish international cooperation channels.
Director Park said, "We will support future international standard activities and ensure that standards are developed with corporations at the center," adding, "We also plan to establish a sustainable standards foundation."
The 2025 Advanced Industry Standard Leadership Forum general meeting is an event that discusses the role of "standards" and policy directions in the process of securing super-gap technological competitiveness. It marks its second year, following last year. This year's event is hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's National Institute of Technology and Standards and organized by the Korea Standards Association, the Korea Industrial Technology Association, and the Council of Presidents of Korean Institutes of Technology, with ChosunBiz as a sponsor.