Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry / KCCI
Business leaders from South Korea and Japan agreed to sharply expand cooperation on stabilizing supply chains, strengthening energy security and nurturing emerging industries such as artificial intelligence chips.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry adopted a joint statement to that effect on the 31st at a meeting with the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held at the Westin Hotel in Sendai, Japan. The 15th Korea-Japan Chambers of Commerce Chairmen’s Meeting drew 28 business leaders in total, including 16 from Korea led by KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won and 12 from Japan including JCCI Chairman Ken Kobayashi.
In the joint statement, the two chambers backed government-level cooperation on critical mineral supply chains and agreed to contribute to efforts to strengthen energy security, including expanded stockpiling, greater stability in energy supply chains and the mutual supply of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas. They also plan to expand technology cooperation in future industries such as AI chips and clean energy, and to pursue cooperation on environmental and green innovation around the 2027 International Horticultural Expo in Yokohama.
A special dialogue and presentation session discussed ways to spread such cooperation beyond large companies to regional small and mid-sized firms and research institutions. Participants shared model cases of cooperation between regional chambers, including Cheongju-Kofu, which marked 35 years of exchange, and Busan-Fukuoka. Park Yun-kyung, chairman of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, proposed making exchanges centered on key regional industries a regular event and building a network for young and second-generation executives. Hiroya Kawasaki, chairman of the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed that with people-to-people exchanges between the two countries picking up on rising tourism demand and more direct flights, regional chamber exchanges also need to broaden into economic areas such as company visits, business matching and talent exchanges.
Other proposals presented included a plan to streamline immigration between Gimpo and Haneda airports using mobile resident IDs, and measures to boost startup exchanges — cooperation that citizens and businesses in both countries could feel in practice.
“The greater the uncertainty in the global economic environment, the more important cooperation that links each other’s strengths becomes for close neighbors like Korea and Japan,” said Yoon Chul-min, head of the KCCI’s international trade division. “Building on this meeting, we will continue discussions on a ‘Korea-Japan economic partnership’ while identifying, one by one, cooperation tasks that regions and companies can feel.”
Exchanges between the leadership of the Korean and Japanese chambers began with a first meeting in 1985 and have continued for more than 40 years, establishing themselves as a key private-sector channel supporting ties between the two countries’ business communities and regional chambers. The 16th Korea-Japan Chambers of Commerce Chairmen’s Meeting will be held next year in Incheon.