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President Lee
introduced as 'visionary leader' to Trump gov't
US biz leaders to
elaborate on latest Washington visit at Korea Times-AMCHAM Forum
By Park Jae-hyuk, The
Korea Times - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) said Tuesday
that it successfully wrapped up its annual four-day Washington Doorknock visit
from June 9 to 12, during which the organization introduced the new Korean
president as a "visionary leader" to the U.S. administration.
According to the
business lobby group representing U.S. companies operating in Korea, its
high-level delegation held nearly 40 meetings with senior U.S. government
officials, members of Congress and leaders of prominent policy institutions in
Washington to advance key economic priorities in the bilateral partnership.
U.S. officials involved
included representatives from the treasury, commerce, state, energy and defense
departments, as well as the National Security Council and the offices of the
U.S. Trade Representative and the vice president.
Four U.S. senators,
seven House representatives and professional staff from 10 senators' offices
and one House representative's office also met with the AMCHAM delegation.
"Here in
Washington, D.C., very few people had an opinion on President Lee
Jae-myung," AMCHAM Chairman James Kim said. "Therefore, for me to say
that I have known President Lee for over a decade resonated quite nicely,
especially involving the MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Microsoft when
he was the mayor of Seongnam City and when I was CEO of Microsoft. Unless one
was a visionary, how would anyone know about cloud back then."
Describing Lee as a
leader with both a clear economic vision and the resolve to deliver on it, Kim
emphasized the new administration's proactive stance on strengthening the
Korea-U.S. partnership and advancing a more globally competitive business
environment.
"We're confident
that the new administration's bold and pragmatic leadership will help
accelerate meaningful progress in U.S.-Korea cooperation," Kim said.
AMCHAM's latest visit
marked the first major private-sector engagement with the U.S. since the launch
of the new Korean administration.
The chamber said it
emphasized the urgency of closer collaboration in semiconductors, artificial
intelligence and advanced manufacturing amid intensifying global competition.
According to the
largest foreign chamber of commerce in Korea, its delegation reiterated the
need to resolve nontariff barriers in key sectors such as the digital economy
and proposed long-term energy security initiatives, including Korea-U.S.
collaboration on Alaska's liquefied natural gas resources.
Regarding the ongoing
tariff talks between the two countries, AMCHAM said its delegation reaffirmed
Korea's standing as the top foreign investor in the U.S.
"AMCHAM conveyed
Korea's strong commitment to deepening U.S.-Korea relations under the new
administration," the chamber said. "Discussions highlighted Korea's
ambition to position itself as a regional innovation hub and the government's
ongoing efforts to enhance the business environment for global companies."
The impact of the
Doorknock program will be further discussed at a forum that The Korea Times
will co-host with AMCHAM on June 24. The event will bring together senior
officials, policy experts and business leaders from both countries to explore
actionable paths for advancing bilateral cooperation.
