South Korean and U.S. CEOs urge faster approvals and incentives for $200 bn investment projects

During a joint meeting of the U.S.-Korea and Korea-U.S. Business Council, roughly 60 senior figures from both countries pressed for quicker regulatory clearances, tax and financial support, and visa system reforms to facilitate large Korean investments in the United States. The declaration, issued by the Federation of Korean Industries, cited the recent announcement by President Donald Trump of a US$200 billion investment plan, which builds on a US$350 billion bilateral commitment from the previous year.

Participants called for fast-track procedures, incentives for strategic projects, and programs to ease the movement of skilled workers. They pledged deeper cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, batteries, mobility, energy, shipbuilding and biotech R&D. Ryu Jin, chairman of the FKI, emphasized that companies must now turn the bilateral framework into concrete outcomes, while Evan Greenberg highlighted the need for predictable public-private collaboration. U.S. officials, including Ambassador Michelle Steel and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, joined the appeal.