Gangwon State, South Korea, has taken a pioneering step to revolutionize its local export ecosystem by collaborating with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Gangwon State Economic Promotion Agency. Announced on September 10, the three organizations entered into a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the nation’s first "AI-Powered Customized Export Strategy" support program. This strategic initiative is designed to drastically lower the barriers local enterprises face in conducting overseas market research while rapidly addressing the growing need for export market diversification. Under this program, a total of 500 customized export strategy reports will be delivered to export-experienced companies and emerging domestic businesses across the province.

Background and Economic Context

The impetus for this program stems from the recent "First Half of 2026 Gangwon Import and Export Trends and Evaluation" report released by Gangwon State. During the first half of 2026, Gangwon’s exports recorded a historic milestone, reaching $1.6013 billion—a 1.3% increase compared to the same period in the previous year—marking a continuous upward trend for three consecutive years. However, a deeper look into the data revealed a structural imbalance: while traditional core markets such as the United States, Taiwan, and Japan experienced sluggish performance, emerging markets led by China, India, Europe, and Latin America drove overall growth. This divergence highlighted a persistent performance gap across different nations and product categories, underscoring an urgent imperative to help local companies identify promising alternative markets and achieve comprehensive market diversification.

Addressing Corporate Pain Points and Market Research Burdens

Previously, Gangwon State supported local export companies and prospective exporters through its "Overseas Online Marketing Support Program," which facilitated entry into global online platforms and digital promotional campaigns. Despite these efforts, participating businesses consistently noted a critical gap: a lack of pre-market analysis required to select high-potential target countries and formulate tailored entry strategies.

For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the province, conducting comprehensive independent market research involves prohibitive costs and resource drains. Furthermore, while some companies attempted to leverage generative artificial intelligence independently to bridge this gap, they faced significant hurdles in verifying the credibility, accuracy, and security of the generated data. Recognizing these challenges, KOTRA proposed an innovative solution: utilizing its proprietary "AI Export Information" system, launched in July, which combines 20 types of verified proprietary data—including overseas trade center intelligence and paid global export statistics—with advanced generative AI models. Concluding that this system directly addresses the ground-level needs of local businesses, Gangwon State and the Economic Promotion Agency joined forces with KOTRA to formalize the partnership. 

Implementation Plan and Strategic Outlook

Through this collaborative framework, the initiative targets export-ready companies as well as beginners in the domestic market who aspire to go global, providing them with 500 tailored export strategy reports customized by specific companies, product lines, and target countries.

Shin Won-chul, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gangwon State, emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating that the agreement directly reflects the findings of the recent trade trends report and the practical voices of the corporate field. He added that the provincial government will actively support local businesses in utilizing data-driven insights to uncover promising new markets and formulate sophisticated, highly competitive global expansion strategies.

Broader Implications: The Convergence of AI and Trade Promotion

This initiative serves as a major milestone in South Korea's regional economic development, reflecting a broader national trend where local governments leverage cutting-edge digital infrastructure to level the playing field for SMEs. By integrating KOTRA's extensive global network—spanning numerous overseas trade offices—with state-of-the-art AI analytics, Gangwon State is pioneering a model that transforms raw trade statistics into actionable, enterprise-specific intelligence. As global trade environments become increasingly volatile due to shifting geopolitical landscapes, supply chain realignments, and protectionist trade policies, empowering local enterprises with verified, AI-driven foresight is expected to enhance the resilience and global competitiveness of regional economies across South Korea.

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