트럼프 관리들을 만나기 위해 워싱턴으로 향하는 한국 최고 경영자들

[kagy]

Chey Tae-won, the SK Group chair who also leads the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Yonhap)

A South Korean business delegation will visit Washington this week to meet with key officials of the Donald Trump administration, amid heightened concerns of sweeping tariffs that could affect critical business sectors.

The delegation, led by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chair Chey Tae-won, who is also leads SK Group, comprises top executives from South Korea’s largest conglomerates, spanning industries such as automobiles, semiconductors, steel, shipbuilding, energy and platforms, according to the KCCI on Sunday.

Among the 26 executives are Cho Hyun-sang, vice chair of HS Hyosung, Sung Kim, president of Hyundai Motor, Kim Won-kyoung, president of Samsung Electronics, Yu Jeong-joon, vice chair of SK On, Lee Hyung-hee, president of SK Supex Council, Yoon Chang-ryul, head of the LG Global Strategy Center, and James Kim, chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, among others. Top executives from Posco International, Lotte, Hanwha Futureproof, Kakao, Shinsegae Group, LS MnM, Doosan Bobcat, Naver, SPC, Korea Gas Corp. and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power are also to join the delegation.

Hyundai Motor President Sung Kim (Yonhap)

The group will be in the US on Wednesday and Thursday and plans to meet with senior White House officials and key members of Congress to discuss trade policies, including tariffs, as well as strategic cooperation and investment cooperation in the US, according to the KCCI.

A meeting with President Trump appears to be unlikely, according to industry sources.

This high-profile visit marks the first Korean business delegation to Washington since the Trump administration launched on Jan. 20.

The trip also comes as South Korean companies brace for the impact of Trump’s flurry of tariffs, which could have major repercussions for Korea's export-driven economy. Last week, Trump announced the imposition of 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, set to take effect March 12. The US is also pushing to charge “reciprocal” tariffs to match those levied by other countries. Additional tariffs on imported cars are expected around April 2, and new duties on chips and pharmaceuticals are also being considered.

“Korea was a model investor during Trump’s first administration under the ‘Buy America’ initiative. We will emphasize that our companies are trustworthy partners in his second term as well,” the KCCI said in a statement,

South Korea has been the largest greenfield investor in the US for 2023 and 2024, investing around $160 billion into key sectors such as automobiles, semiconductors and batteries since 2017.

The KCCI plans to host a “Korea-US Business Night” gala dinner event on Wednesday at the Great Hall of Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington. Around 150 attendees, including US senators and members of the House of Representative, state governors and key Cabinet members, are expected to attend.

At the event, the delegation will highlight the need for strategic cooperation to expand Korean investment in the US. Individual meetings between Korean companies and officials from major investment destinations will also take place.

The following day, the delegation is scheduled to meet with senior officials from the White House and economic agencies.

The discussions will cover various topics, including expanding imports of US energy, cooperation in shipbuilding, investment for manufacturing facilities by car- and parts-makers, cooperation in the development of next-generation nuclear power plants and joint research and development for semiconductor supply chains.

“This outreach effort is a crucial opportunity to create a more favorable investment environment for our companies amid the fierce diplomatic efforts to avoid Trump’s tariff measures,” said Park Il-joon, the executive vice chair of the KCCI who is also part of the delegation.

“We will actively engage with the US government and the Congress to deliver tangible outcomes.”

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