2023.09.07
AMCHAM Korea to be at the center of Korea-U.S. bilataral business partnerships
Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, or AMCHAM Korea, will spare no effort in supporting South Korea to help the country assume prominent global leadership, according to AMCHAM Korea chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) James Kim.
“This year is the
70th anniversary of not only the Korea-U.S. alliance but AMCHAM Korea’s
founding. It’s amazing that bilateral business opportunities emerged right at
the very outset of the Korea-U.S. relationship,” Kim said in a recent interview
with the Maeil Business Newspaper.
He promised further
commitments to bilateral business partnerships between South Korea and the
United States.
“AMCHAM Korea sees
itself as a bridge toward strengthened bilateral partnerships between the two
nations,” Kim said, adding that “As a politically unbiased organization, AMCHAM
Korea has maintained its position in the forefront of economic diplomacy due to
its membership consisting of global companies with an interest in investing in
Korea.”
Kim described the
Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement as a pivot in the robust partnership developed
over the past decade between the two economies. Bilateral trade volume soared
by 70 percent over the decade since the FTA came into force in 2012, with Korean
exports to the U.S. rising 14.5 percent.
South Korea has
ascended to become the United States’ sixth-largest trading partner, while the
United States. became South Korea’s second-largest trading partner. Over the
past decade, Korean investments in the United States surged over threefold and
U.S. business investments in Korea have doubled.
“Korean exports to
the U.S. market grew so fast so that they surpassed those to China during the
first half of this year,” Kim said.
South Korean direct
investments in the U.S. stood at $27.7 billion, with Kim adding that “The
combined market share held by Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. in the U.S.
amounts to more than 10 percent, which suggests that Korean technology in
electric vehicles, batterries and artificial intelligence has become
world-class.”
“AMCHAM Korea serves
as an information hub and the organization persistently advocates for the
exceptional qualities of Korean companies to U.S. corporations, Congress, and
the administration,” Kim affirmed.
AMCHAM Korea is
poised to hold its annual Doorknock event in October, where its delegations
meet with officials from the U.S. administration and Congress to highlight the
importance of the Korea-U.S. FTA and promote the Korean economy on the global
stage.
“The ongoing
geopolitical crisis is generating significant uncertainty for businesses, but
the AMCHAM Doorknock delegation is committed to assisting both economies in
prudently addressing these challenges and reinforcing the economic and security
alliance,” according to Kim.
Kim will also join a
virtual gathering which will be moderated by New York City Mayor Eric Leroy
Adams and take place on the sidelines of the World Knowledge Forum supported by
the Maeil Business Newspaper on September 14.
Source: https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2023&no=676560