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Korea seeks continued US investment at AMCHAM talks
By Ha
Neul-bit, The Korea Herald - The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea held a
closed-door roundtable Friday with Trade, Industry and Resource Minister Kim
Jung-kwan at the government complex in central Seoul.
The
meeting aimed to gather views from US companies operating in Korea and
supporting their business activities, following a Korea-US summit in late
October and the release of a joint fact sheet in mid-November.
The
meeting brought together senior executives from global companies, including
Hyundai Motor Group, Posco Group, Apple, General Motors, Bloom Energy, Lam
Research, UL Solutions, Citibank, AstraZeneca, Roche and Novelis, representing
sectors such as semiconductor equipment, energy, pharmaceuticals,
biotechnology, automobiles, steel, materials and finance.
Industry
Minister Kim welcomed record US investment into Korea and rising Korean
investment in the United States following the conclusion of bilateral tariff
negotiations, calling it a “reciprocal and mutually beneficial nature” of the
investment relationship.
He
also promised the government would foster a predictable and stable environment
for foreign-invested companies and urged US firms to continue investing in
Korea, particularly in advanced industries.
According
to the government’s data, US investment into Korea totaled $9.77 billion in
2025, up 86.6 percent from $5.2 billion in 2024.
Participants
discussed ways to streamline regulations, improve investment predictability,
and expand cooperation in emerging industries and manufacturing. Talks also
covered item-specific tariff negotiations and foreign investment incentive
programs.
“The
success of the 2025 APEC Summit and the release of the Korea-US joint fact
sheet reaffirm Korea’s position as a global innovation leader and a key
regional hub for advanced industries,” AMCHAM Chair and CEO James Kim said.
“Amid
advancing artificial intelligence and growing geopolitical uncertainty, the
partnership between Seoul and Washington remains vital in supporting economic
security and sustainable growth,” he added.
