WIPO Director General Daren Tang congratulated the Republic of Korea on its newly established Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) during an official visit to Seoul. In meetings with government officials, including Prime Minister Kim Min-Seok, Mr. Tang said this is a strategic and forward-looking move with significant implications for innovation, economic growth and pledged WIPO’s continued support to Seoul as it pursues its efforts to strengthen its innovation ecosystem.
The new Ministry came into being on October 1, coinciding with the first day of the Director General’s two-day visit. It replaces the former Korean Intellectual Property Office and will elevate intellectual property (IP) governance and the role of IP to a strategic national level. The MOIP will report to the Prime Minister.
In discussions with the Prime Minister and the Acting Minister of IP Mok Sung-ho, Mr. Tang welcomed this move saying that it sends a strong signal of the cross-cutting nature of IP.
Highlights of Seoul Engagements:
- Met with Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Chae Hwi-young to talk about the country’s creative economy which has become globally renowned for its cultural exports that have reshaped global entertainment, notably the Hallyu cultural wave. They discussed efforts to strengthen cooperation and capacity building in the area of enforcement given the huge losses to the local economy as a result of counterfeiting and piracy.
- Met with Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina who looked forward to further deepening WIPO’s collaboration with the Republic of Korea.
- Visited Kolmar Korea, a leading K-Beauty company that specializes in cosmetics and health supplements. Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun explained how the company leverages IP as a strategic asset to strengthen competitiveness, expand globally, and protect it innovations. Kolmar is an innovation-driven company, holding 2,300 patents and every year investing more than 7% of its revenues in R&D.
- Delivered a keynote speech at the Conference on Anti-Counterfeit Authentication Technologies, hosted by MOIP.
- Met with CEO SM Entertainment Jang Cheol-hyuk. SM Entertainment is one of Korea’s largest entertainment companies and a pioneer in the globalization of K-pop. SM has built a strong IP portfolio and become a cultural powerhouse driving the Korean Wave (Hallyu). During the visit, Mr. Tang also discussed the importance of IP protection with Kangta, a member of one of the first K-pop idol groups H.O.T. and now works as a creative director and producer at SM Entertainment.
- Met with executives of the Korea Intellectual Property Association (KINPA), Korean Patent Attorneys Association (KPAA), Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) and the Korea Intellectual Property Strategy Agency (KISTA). Issues discussed included IP commercialization and valuation.
- Exchanged views with members of the Federation of Intellectual Property Societies (FIPRO), a national alliance of IP-related organizations. It serves as a platform to promote collaboration across culture, arts, science, and technology, while advancing IP law and policy. It aims to strengthen the IP ecosystem and foster public–private dialogue, and currently brings together 47 member associations, mostly representing the creative industries and the copyright sector.