WASHINGTON, D.C. - South Korea's Industry Minister, Ahn Duk-geun, embarked on a pivotal visit to the United States on Wednesday to engage in talks aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation across next-generation sectors and the energy industry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Scheduled for a two-day stay through Friday (U.S. time), Ahn's agenda includes meetings with U.S. officials and lawmakers to enhance collaboration in areas ranging from semiconductors to clean energy.
This visit marks Ahn's inaugural trip to the U.S. following his assumption of office in January. The discussions are set to cover a broad spectrum of interests, including the deepening of technological partnerships between Seoul and Washington, exploring grants for chipmakers, and incentives under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, as detailed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.
A key topic on Ahn's docket will be seeking U.S. support for South Korean firms in light of regulations restricting the sourcing of critical minerals and components for electric vehicles from China. He is also expected to broach the subject of semiconductor export limitations to China during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Ahn's itinerary also features a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, where discussions will focus on clean energy cooperation in hydrogen, nuclear power, small modular reactors, and renewable energy sectors to support carbon emission reduction efforts. An additional point of discussion will likely be the legal proceedings involving U.S. energy giant Westinghouse Electric Co. and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), stemming from a 2022 lawsuit filed by Westinghouse to block KHNP's nuclear plant exports under U.S. export control regulations—a suit that was dismissed by a U.S. district court in September.
Highlighting the significance of these discussions, Ahn remarked on the evolution of South Korea-U.S. relations into a comprehensive alliance encompassing economic security, advanced industries, and supply chains. He emphasized the ongoing commitment of Seoul's industry ministry to further fortify collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Energy.