Korea seeks continued US investment at AmCham talks

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan (right) delivers a speech during a closed-door roundtable with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea at the government complex in central Seoul on Friday. (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resource)

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea held a closed-door roundtable Friday with Trade, Industry and Resource Minister Kim Jung-kwan at the government complex in central Seoul.

The meeting aimed to gather views from US companies operating in Korea and supporting their business activities, following a Korea-US summit in late October and the release of a joint fact sheet in mid-November.

The meeting brought together senior executives from global companies, including Hyundai Motor Group, Posco Group, Apple, General Motors, Bloom Energy, Lam Research, UL Solutions, Citibank, AstraZeneca, Roche and Novelis, representing sectors such as semiconductor equipment, energy, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, automobiles, steel, materials and finance.

Industry Minister Kim welcomed record US investment into Korea and rising Korean investment in the United States following the conclusion of bilateral tariff negotiations, calling it a “reciprocal and mutually beneficial nature” of the investment relationship.

He also promised the government would foster a predictable and stable environment for foreign-invested companies and urged US firms to continue investing in Korea, particularly in advanced industries.

According to the government’s data, US investment into Korea totaled $9.77 billion in 2025, up 86.6 percent from $5.2 billion in 2024.

Participants discussed ways to streamline regulations, improve investment predictability, and expand cooperation in emerging industries and manufacturing. Talks also covered item-specific tariff negotiations and foreign investment incentive programs.

“The success of the 2025 APEC Summit and the release of the Korea-US joint fact sheet reaffirm Korea’s position as a global innovation leader and a key regional hub for advanced industries,” AmCham Chair and CEO James Kim said.

“Amid advancing artificial intelligence and growing geopolitical uncertainty, the partnership between Seoul and Washington remains vital in supporting economic security and sustainable growth,” he added.