[Anchor]

We are also facing simultaneous pressure over investments in the United States. There are interpretations that complaints from Donald Trump regarding delays in South Korea's investments were reflected in the scaling back of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. Difficult trade issues have become even more complicated as they intertwine with security. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy has headed to the U.S. for last-minute coordination.

Reporter Kwon Ran has the details.

[Reporter]

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan, who urgently departed for the U.S. on the 16th, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for two consecutive days on the 17th and 18th.

Meeting just three weeks after the opening ceremony of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center, the two ministers reportedly focused their discussions on key issues, implementation plans, and announcement timelines for potential U.S. investment projects.

[Kim Jeong-gwan / Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (local time on the 16th): As I mentioned, we are planning to announce the project around late August or early September. Various issues keep coming up, but we are trying to resolve them somehow to meet that target...]

A combined-cycle gas power plant in Texas is reportedly being discussed as the leading candidate for the first U.S. investment project, while data centers and carbon capture and storage facilities are also known to be under review.

Although the government officially denied speculations that the U.S. recently demanded investments in memory semiconductors as well, various investment demands are reportedly being conveyed through multiple channels.

However, negotiations have dragged on for over a year since the investment agreement due to differing stances—with the South Korean government emphasizing profitability after investment, while the U.S. prioritizes rapid speed.

This contrasts with Japan, which announced its first project last February, just seven months after reaching an investment agreement with the U.S., amid a growing atmosphere where tariff and security pressures are compounding.

Following the findings of the Section 301 investigation by the U.S. Trade Representative, the possibility of additional tariffs on overcapacity remains. Furthermore, analyses have emerged suggesting that one of the reasons President Trump recently ordered a reduction in South Korea-U.S. joint exercises stems from dissatisfaction with the pace at which South Korea is fulfilling its investments in the U.S.

Minister Kim also met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to defend against potential additional tariffs. He has reportedly not finalized his return schedule and plans to continue discussions through additional meetings with U.S. government officials.

(Video Editing: Kim Jin-won, Design: Hwang Se-yeon)