Industry minister meets with Howard Lutnick over trade, investment issues in Washington

Korea's Industry Minister, Kim Jung-kwan, engaged in meetings with U.S. officials in Washington to discuss bilateral trade and industrial matters, including potential investment projects in the United States, according to a statement from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources on Wednesday. The discussions took place on August 17-18 (U.S. time), with Kim and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick focusing on key issues pertaining to prospective U.S. investments and their projected timelines, aiming to bridge any existing differences.

On August 19, Kim is set to meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to address bilateral trade concerns, such as a Section 301 investigation, and to encourage the two nations to uphold consistent communication channels. Furthermore, Kim intends to confer with Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, to explore subsequent actions related to President Donald Trump's recent initiatives to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and to explore avenues for enhancing collaboration between the two countries in this sector.

Kim's visit followed closely after South Korea's chief trade negotiator held discussions with U.S. counterparts.