Prime Minister Kim Meets U.S. Vice President Vance: "Special Act on Investment in the United States Shows Our Commitment to Fulfilling Investment Agreements"

\r\n
[The Financial News] On the afternoon of the 12th, the first day of his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok of South Korea held talks with Vice President of the United States JD Vance at the White House in Washington, D.C. The meeting took place about 50 days after their first talks in January.
\r\nPrime Minister Kim noted that, thanks to the South Korean government’s efforts, the Special Act on Investment in the United States passed the plenary session of the National Assembly yesterday. He explained that this demonstrates South Korea’s strong commitment to implementing the investment agreements. He added that, through this legislation, he hopes South Korea’s future investment in the United States will help revitalize U.S. manufacturing and create jobs, and serve as a foundation for the broader development of South Korea–United States relations.
He went on to say that the passage of this legislation has provided new momentum to further accelerate implementation of the Korea-U.S. Joint Fact Sheet (JFS). On that basis, he stressed that the two sides should also move quickly to carry out their security-related commitments, including those on nuclear-powered submarines, nuclear energy, and shipbuilding.
Vice President of the United States Vance welcomed the passage of the Special Act on Investment in the United States, saying it has created the legal conditions needed to implement the investment agreements, and proposed that the two countries maintain close communication on investment in the United States.
Prime Minister Kim highlighted cooperation between the two countries in the field of critical minerals and outlined the South Korean government’s forward-looking decision regarding U.S. companies’ requests to take technical drawings out of the country. Vice President Vance highly appreciated these steps and said the two sides should continue to communicate on other non-tariff barriers as well.
Prime Minister Kim also shared that issues JD Vance had expressed interest in during their January meeting, including matters related to Coupang and religion, have recently been managed in a stable manner. Vice President Vance expressed his appreciation for the South Korean government’s efforts to respect South Korea’s domestic laws and systems while remaining attentive to U.S. concerns and maintaining ongoing communication.
The two leaders also exchanged views on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. They reaffirmed that the door to dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) remains open and agreed to continue close communication between South Korea and the United States.
The meeting was seen as further deepening the personal bond and trust between Prime Minister Kim and Vice President Vance following their first talks in January. It is expected to help strengthen communication between South Korea and the United States on a wide range of pending issues.
\r\n
syj@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Young-jun Reporter