Choi Hyun-su, head of the Korea Paper Association, urged the domestic paper industry to pursue structural transition by introducing AI-based smart processes and strengthening eco-friendly competitiveness centered on resource circulation. Speaking at a press briefing on the 16th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, to mark the 10th Paper Day, Choi noted the industry's strengths, including an industrial base with 27 trillion won in annual output and 60,000 employees, and that it ships about 24% of total production. He assessed the industrial environment as increasingly tough due to global supply chain instability, higher ocean freight, raw material price volatility, rising energy expenses, economic slowdowns, weaker domestic demand, oversupply, and a surge in low-priced imports. Choi singled out rising energy expenses as a key risk factor, stating they directly affect profitability and investment capacity. He proposed AI-based smart manufacturing as a core strategy to secure cost competitiveness and cut carbon, and cited development of high value-added products and investment in future materials as key tasks.