The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) said it held a closed-door roundtable with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on the afternoon of the 14th at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel in Yongsan District, Seoul. The roundtable was arranged as one of Deputy Secretary Landau's first official events during his visit to Korea.
Senior executives from major Korean and U.S. corporations representing a range of industries, including automobiles, aviation, healthcare, information and communications technology (ICT) and digital services, and steel, attended the roundtable. As Korean corporations are expanding investment in the United States, participants discussed strengthening bilateral economic cooperation, removing non-tariff barriers, and ways to enhance Korea's investment appeal.
Participants stressed that improving Korea's regulatory environment is essential for more U.S. corporations to consider Korea as an Asia regional headquarters (RHQ) base. Currently, Singapore has about 5,000, Hong Kong 1,400, and Shanghai 900 RHQs. By contrast, the number of RHQs in Korea is not even 100.
They also exchanged views on the outlook for future negotiations and the potential impact on bilateral economic relations following the recent South Korea–U.S. summit between President Trump and President Lee Jae-myung. In addition, in connection with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) probe into Hyundai Motor and LG manufacturing facilities in Georgia, the need to expand visa quotas for Korean personnel dispatched to the United States was discussed.
Deputy Secretary Landau emphasized the U.S. government's commitment to advancing a close and mutually beneficial economic partnership between South Korea and the United States. James Kim, AMCHAM chairman and CEO, said, "AMCHAM will continue to serve as a bridge connecting the two governments and corporations and will consistently provide a forum for constructive discussions."