"Exchanging Information on Trump’s Economic Policies"… Business Community Relies on 'Trump’s Mouthpiece'

'Trump's Mouth' Expected to Serve as Sanders' Foothold
Met with Korean Business Officials During Last Visit
KOTRA Strengthens Trade Office 'Information Gathering'

Recently, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who visited South Korea, is expected to serve as a bridge connecting our business community and the U.S. political sphere. There are expectations that Governor Sanders will play a key role in expanding connections with former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate.

At the 'Korea-US Economic Council Meeting' held by the Korea International Trade Association on the 11th at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Samseong-dong, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Governor of Arkansas, USA, is speaking. Photo by Korea International Trade Association

Yoon Jin-sik, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), who recently held a roundtable meeting with Governor Sanders, plans to strengthen ties with her. In a phone call on the 15th, Chairman Yoon said, "We intend to communicate closely with Governor Sanders and gradually exchange information regarding Trump's economic policy plans."

At the roundtable, Governor Sanders also met with members of the Korea-U.S. Economic Council and representatives of Korean companies. He said, "I hope Korean companies will take an interest in Arkansas and invest there in the future." Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Korea Steel, and Shinwon are among the companies operating in Arkansas. During his visit to Korea, Governor Sanders also met with Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, to discuss cooperation plans between the two sides. It is reported that Hyundai Motor President Jang Jae-hoon and Kim Il-beom, Vice President of Hyundai Motor’s Global Policy Office (GPO), who is in charge of overseas government relations, also attended the meeting.

The closer ties with Governor Sanders are expected to enable our business community to quickly gather information related to the U.S. presidential election. He is known as "Trump's mouthpiece" and a "Trump loyalist." Sanders served as White House Press Secretary from 2017 to 2019 and was elected as the first female governor in Arkansas history in November 2022, thanks in part to overwhelming support from Trump’s ardent supporters. His father, Mike Huckabee, also served as Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007, setting a record as a "father-daughter governor" duo. Since then, he has established himself as a prominent figure in the Republican Party. He has also had various connections with South Korea. In July last year, at a commemorative ceremony held in Little Rock, Arkansas?hometown of U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur (1880?1964)?marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, he said, "The development of Korea today, which was devastated by war over 70 years ago, is remarkable."

In addition to Governor Sanders, KITA is reported to exchange information with ‘pro-Korea’ Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives such as Jerry Carl and Michelle Steel, whom they met during a recent delegation visit to the U.S. House. KOTRA has recently designated its trade offices in Washington D.C., Tokyo, Beijing, and Brussels as "Economic and Trade Cooperation Desks" to comprehensively monitor various scenarios that may arise depending on the U.S. presidential election results. While continuing their core duties such as export support and marketing for Korean companies, they have strengthened their information-gathering functions. It is reported that KOTRA has shifted priorities in response to growing corporate concerns about ‘geopolitical risks’ related to the U.S. presidential election.

There are also reports that some members of the business community are engaging in behind-the-scenes contacts with members of the ‘Korea Caucus,’ a ‘pro-Korea’ group formed in the U.S. Senate, as well as with Korean companies, organizations, and government agencies. Senator Jon Ossoff, who has expressed a positive stance on the ‘Korean-only professional employment visa bill’ introduced in Congress in April last year, and Senator Todd Young, who visited South Korea in August last year, are among the members of this group.