Minister Kim Jeong-Kwan: "A New Chapter Opened After Korea-U.S. Tariff Deal... Expecting Active Investment from U.S. Companies"

Closed-Door Meeting with AMCHAM at Seoul Government Complex
"Hope for Investment in AI Data Centers and Semiconductors"
"Support for Active Investment by U.S. Companies"

On the afternoon of January 9, Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, attended a closed-door meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) at the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. He emphasized, "Following the conclusion of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations last year, a new chapter is opening in Korea-U.S. relations," adding, "We hope and expect that American companies will actively invest in our country across various sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, semiconductors, and biotechnology. We will also provide active support to make this possible."

Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (center), attended a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on January 9th, 2026. After taking a commemorative photo with James Kim, Chairman of AMCHAM, he is moving back to his seat. Photo by Jo Yongjun

This meeting was organized to exchange opinions on the direction of economic cooperation between Korea and the United States, as well as policy tasks to improve Korea's investment and regulatory environment and strengthen industrial competitiveness. Executives from global companies representing key sectors of Korea-U.S. economic cooperation-including semiconductor equipment, energy, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, automobiles, steel and materials, and finance-were in attendance.

Minister Kim also expressed gratitude for the fact that U.S. investment in Korea reached an all-time high last year. He evaluated that, as Korean companies have expanded their investments in the United States following the conclusion of the tariff negotiations, the increase in U.S. investment in Korea demonstrates that bilateral investment cooperation is developing in a mutually beneficial manner.

James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM, stated, "The successful hosting of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the joint Korea-U.S. fact sheet announcement demonstrate that Korea is securing critical leadership in advanced industries and innovation." He continued, "As AI becomes more sophisticated and geopolitical uncertainties increase, the Korea-U.S. economic partnership serves as a crucial pillar supporting economic security and sustainable growth. AMCHAM will play a practical role in helping Korea establish itself as a hub in the Asia-Pacific region."

The global companies participating in the meeting discussed practical policy issues such as regulatory rationalization, enhancing the predictability of the investment environment, and expanding cooperation in new industries, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. They also shared views on topics such as the Korea-U.S. item-specific tariff negotiations and the foreign investment incentive system.

Minister Kim stated, "We will strive to reflect the opinions of AMCHAM member companies in our policies and create a more predictable and stable investment environment for foreign-invested enterprises." He also expressed hope that Korea and the United States will further strengthen investment cooperation, particularly in advanced future industries, and called for continued expansion of domestic investment by American foreign-invested companies.

Meanwhile, AMCHAM plans to use this meeting as an opportunity to further solidify policy communication channels between the Korean government and global companies and to continue contributing to the substantive development of Korea-U.S. economic cooperation.