▲ Yeo Han-koo, Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
Yeo Han-koo, Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who is visiting the United States, met with local governors to discuss ways to strengthen commercial and trade cooperation between South Korea and the U.S.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced today (August 2) that Minister Yeo attended the National Governors Association (NGA) 2026 Annual Meeting held in Oklahoma City from July 30 to August 1, where he met with governors, key figures, and industry representatives from across the United States.
During this period, Minister Yeo met with the governors of 11 states, including Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, to share views on the current status of bilateral trade and investment as well as future development directions.
Highlighting the status of cooperation in advanced and strategic industries where South Korean companies operate—such as automobiles, batteries, energy, critical minerals, and shipbuilding—he introduced state-specific collaborations and asked for active interest and support from state governments to discover mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities and strengthen partnerships.
In particular, regarding nuclear power, he carried out U.S.-Korea nuclear cooperation outreach activities focusing on states recently selected as candidates for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Innovation Campus (such as Tennessee, Oklahoma, Utah, Louisiana, and Idaho).
The ministry stated that during his meetings with the governors of Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Utah, Minister Yeo built a consensus on the need for cooperation across the entire nuclear fuel cycle, ranging from uranium and nuclear power plant construction and operation to spent nuclear fuel management.
Minister Yeo remarked, "For strategic cooperation between the two countries to lead to tangible results, the role of state governments regarding South Korean companies' investments and activities in the U.S. is crucial," and urged, "Let us actively discover and pursue cooperative projects where both sides can win."
Minister Yeo also exchanged views on current U.S.-Korea trade issues with former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, agreeing on the importance of bilateral cooperation in strategic industries such as shipbuilding and nuclear energy.
At a business roundtable hosted by the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, he shared the current status and plans for bilateral cooperation with 10 U.S. companies in sectors including aerospace, biotechnology, defense, and finance, and expressed the South Korean government's commitment to supporting stronger private-sector economic cooperation.
Minister Yeo previously visited Washington, D.C. from July 21 to 24 to meet with key figures from the U.S. administration, Congress, and industry to discuss investments in the U.S., core industry cooperation, and the Coupang issue, and he revisited the U.S. just a week later to continue his outreach efforts.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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