This photo taken Feb. 16, 2025, and provided by the finance ministry, shows Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, speaking at a meeting with acting President Choi Sang-mok and business leaders at the government complex building in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Major South Korean business lobby groups are preparing to send delegations to the United States in the near future for discussions on bilateral economic cooperation under the second Donald Trump administration, according to industry observers Monday.
A business delegation led by Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will make a two day-trip to Washington starting Wednesday to meet political and business figures for discussions on economic cooperation.
It is the first time for a Korean business delegation to make an official visit to the U.S. since the Trump government took office last month.
Trump recently ordered a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports and unveiled a sweeping plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on its trading partners.
The KCCI said it will underline that South Korea had made aggressive investments in the U.S. and purchased lots of U.S. goods and services during the first Trump government.
Faced with heavy tariffs, the delegation is expected to seek strategies to mitigate risks for Korean businesses operating in the U.S. amid growing uncertainty in global trade.
The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) also plans to send a 10-member delegation to several states in the southern part of the U.S. next month.
KITA officials are scheduled to meet local governors and officials from March 15-23 to gain Trump’s favor in his trade policies by promoting Samsung Electronics Co. and other Korean firms’ investments in the southern states, such as Texas and Tennessee.
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) is also preparing to send a delegation for outreach activities in the U.S., according to the organization.
(Yonhap)
