Minister Kim Jeong-Kag Vows "No Discrimination Against Foreign-Invested Companies" (Comprehensive)

Closed-Door Meeting with AMCHAM at Seoul Government Complex
"Ensuring No Less Favorable Treatment Than Korean Companies"
"Every Company Doing Business in Korea Is a Korean Company"
"Looking Forward to Continued Investment from AMCHAM Member Companies"

Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, emphasized at a closed-door meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) held at the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on the afternoon of January 9, that "foreign-invested companies doing business in Korea will not be discriminated against compared to Korean companies."

Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, is speaking at the meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) held at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on January 9, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Minister Kim made these remarks during his opening speech at the meeting. He stated, "Every company doing business in Korea is a Korean company, and every foreign-invested company that invests in Korea is valuable," adding, "It is my responsibility to ensure that doing business in Korea is more beneficial than doing business in any other country." He continued, "Since the recent conclusion of the customs negotiations, Korea-U.S. cooperation has entered a new chapter," and expressed his hope for continued investment from AMCHAM member companies.

This meeting was organized to exchange views 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 industrial sectors of Korea-U.S. economic cooperation, including Hyundai Motor Group, POSCO Group, Apple Korea, GM Korea, Bloom Energy, Lam Research Korea, UL Solutions, Citibank Korea, AstraZeneca, Roche Korea, and Novelis Korea, attended the event.

The participating companies discussed practical policy issues such as regulatory rationalization, enhancing predictability in the investment environment, and expanding cooperation in new industries, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Opinions were also shared regarding individual tariff negotiations between Korea and the United States and the foreign investment incentive system.

Minister Kim promised, "I will work to reflect the opinions of AMCHAM member companies in policy, and at the same time, I will strive to create a more predictable and stable investment environment for foreign-invested companies."

Kim Jeong-Kag, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, is speaking at the meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) held at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on January 9, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM, stated, "We support President Lee Jaemyung's vision and Minister Kim Jeong-Kag's leadership in strengthening global competitiveness, focusing on the five future strategic sectors of ABCDE (AI, Bio, Cultural Content, Defense Industry, and Energy)," emphasizing, "Regulatory alignment between the two countries is more important than ever to achieve this."

He added, "As artificial intelligence (AI) advances 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."

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