Kim Dong-yeon Discusses 'Tariff Issues' with Key Figures from Trump's First Term... Returns on 12th

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who visited the United States for 'tariff diplomacy,' met with key figures from the first Trump administration's diplomatic team to discuss measures to address tariff issues.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 12th, Governor Kim held a meeting with Steve Biegun, former Special Representative for North Korea Policy, on the 10th (local time) at the Ford School lecture hall at the University of Michigan.

Former Representative Biegun was appointed as Special Representative for North Korea Policy following Joseph Yun (currently Acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea) and is a North Korea expert who conducted a 'retreat negotiation' related to the second North Korea-U.S. summit with North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Sweden in January 2019.

He was later promoted to Deputy Secretary of State overseeing foreign policy, playing a key role in the first Trump administration's diplomatic team. Before joining the Trump administration, he worked as Senior Vice President at the automaker Ford for about 15 years.

The meeting between the two was not planned in the current tour schedule, but Governor Kim's side arranged the meeting to seek strategic advice on tariff issues, as former Representative Biegun was a key figure in both the first Trump administration and Ford Motor Company.

Governor Kim said, "The automotive industry is a strategically very important sector for both Michigan and Gyeonggi Province," and asked for opinions on solutions to tariff problems.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is meeting with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun at the Ford School of the University of Michigan on the 10th (local time). Photo by Gyeonggi Province

In response, former Representative Biegun advised, "Over the past decade, South Korea has been one of the countries that invested the most in the United States," adding, "There is still room for negotiation."

He further stated, "To some extent, Korean manufacturers have already succeeded in becoming part of the U.S. automotive industry," and added, "When Hyundai Motor produces cars in Georgia, they are effectively American-made cars, which would be a very persuasive point in lowering tariffs."

When Governor Kim mentioned the agreement on four items for joint response to automotive parts tariffs with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, former Representative Biegun evaluated, "If the Governor of Gyeonggi Province and the Governor of Michigan cooperate, they could probably unite the opinions of the top five companies among the world's top ten automobile companies."

Governor Kim concluded his 4-day, 2-night visit to the U.S. after the meeting with former Representative Biegun and headed back home.

Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport at 4:30 p.m. that day, Governor Kim planned to visit the site of the collapse at the Gwangmyeong Sinansan Line construction site immediately.