Samil PwC said on the 13th that it held a seminar titled "U.S. investment leapfrogging strategy" at the Amore Hall at its headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 12th.
About 150 domestic and foreign experts and corporate officials, including Samil PwC partners, officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' Americas Trade Division, and chief financial officers (CFO) and strategy officers of major corporations, attended the seminar to discuss strategies for a successful entry into the United States.
Ryu Gil-ju, head of client services at Samil PwC, said in opening remarks, "Amid a complex web of geopolitical dynamics, the United States is transforming into both the architect redesigning global supply chain rules and a powerful magnet attracting future-industry production bases," adding, "We hope this seminar helps Korean corporations find practical answers on how to effectively expand investment in the United States."
In the first session, Ahn Hong-sang, Director of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' Americas Trade Division, gave a presentation on "Government policy direction for investment in the United States."
Director Ahn outlined how to operate the Korea-U.S. strategic investment memorandum of understanding (MOU) from the perspectives of project selection, financing, and revenue sharing, and said the MOU would help expand participation by domestic corporations and ensure commercial rationality.
In the second session, Jung Min-woo, a Samil PwC partner, explained "Measures and practical cases for direct entry into the United States."
Partner Jung said, "The United States remains the world's largest market in purchasing power, and considering supply chain reconfiguration and various incentive benefits, now is the right time for Korean corporations to enter," adding, "Systematic preparation is needed at each stage, including site selection, maximizing incentives, and stabilization after establishment."
In the third session, Min Kyung-pil, head of PwC Consulting's Construction Project Center (partner), explained "Strategic promotion plans and success factors for building factories in the United States," focusing on real cases.
Partner Min noted, "Unlike Korea, the United States carries out construction based on formal documentation, which is a cultural difference," pointing out that a preemptive review is needed to reduce contract-type and management-system issues arising from differences between domestic and local practices.
Min added, "Because building factories in the United States involves many variables and risks, systematic, stage-by-stage management focused on risk response—from initial planning through contracting, construction, and operations—is essential."
In the fourth session, Kim Gi-rok, a Samil PwC partner, presented "U.S. initial public offering (IPO) strategies and considerations," and, based on recent advisory experience with U.S. listings by Korean corporations and U.S. holding companies, compared traditional IPOs and special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) IPOs in terms of duration, expense, and corporate value, sharing practical insights.
Partner Kim said, "Recently, more Korean corporations are considering U.S. listings to raise funds for building factories in the United States," advising, "You need to holistically consider market trends and corporate valuation, the business and regulatory environment, and listing expense."
In the fifth session, Partner Park Kwang-jin gave a presentation on "Trends in U.S. tax incentives and how to use them," emphasizing, "In a rapidly changing tax environment, you need strategies to maximize tax credit benefits and manage risks effectively."
Lastly, So Joo-hyun, global trade platform services leader (partner), presented "Response plans in anticipation of the Supreme Court ruling on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)."
Leader So advised, "Although the Supreme Court has not yet ruled, in the event of an invalidation ruling, secure your refund-claim status in advance for prompt refunds and use U.S. Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) data to obtain past payment records," and recommended, "If reciprocal tariff offsets or negotiations have already occurred, assess whether a renegotiation would yield practical benefits."