KOTRA is an abbreviation for the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, which many people casually refer to as the Korea Trade Agency.

This agency was established on June 21, 1962, benchmarking Japan's export promotion agency, JETRO, and initially started under the name 'Korea Trade Promotion Agency', but changed to its current name on August 4, 1995.

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency Act, KOTRA's main purpose is to promote trade and support investment and industrial technology cooperation between domestic and foreign companies, attract overseas professionals, and carry out government export contract work to contribute to national economic development. The law defines KOTRA as a non-profit corporation and prohibits other organizations or entities from using the name KOTRA or similar names.

Additionally, KOTRA operates as a quasi-governmental organization under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with its headquarters located at 13 Heonleung-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Domestically, it operates 11 regional support teams and 2 offices, and has established a global network with 127 overseas trade offices in 86 countries worldwide.

In this way, KOTRA plays a significant role in supporting exports and attracting foreign investment in South Korea, facilitating various collaborations between domestic and foreign companies to contribute to national economic development.

KOTRA's main roles are as follows:

Export Support: KOTRA helps Korean companies enter overseas markets and discover foreign buyers. To this end, it conducts various export consultations, exhibitions, and marketing activities.

Attracting Foreign Investment: KOTRA develops various strategies to attract foreign investment to Korea and introduces the investment environment in Korea to foreign investors.

Building a Global Network: KOTRA has branches in various countries around the world, supporting Korean companies to be competitive in the global market.

Providing Information: KOTRA provides various information about overseas markets to Korean companies, helping them analyze overseas markets and develop entry strategies.

KOTRA's headquarters is in Seoul, and it operates branches and offices in various countries around the world, establishing an international business network. KOTRA is an important partner in helping companies expand overseas, also operating various training programs related to exports and government support projects.