Headline: Won slides, even as record chip exports power Korea’s trade
Top Story
The won weakened, near its softest levels in over a decade, even as semiconductors continue to drive record export performance. June chip exports hit an all-time high of ~$14.97B (up 11.6% YoY), with memory exports topping $10B for the first time as DRAM prices keep climbing on AI/HBM demand.
The won softness reflects broader FX and rate dynamics, the mechanisms by which currency exchange rates fluctuate in response to shifting global interest rates, macroeconomic policies, and market supply and demand, rather than a chip-cycle downturn.
Sector Watch
Semiconductors: AI-driven memory demand (HBM, DDR5) remains the strength story, with record June exports and rising DRAM prices supporting Samsung/SK Hynix sentiment.
Automotive: Hyundai’s 125 trillion won (~$86 billion USD) 2026-2030 domestic R&D plan continues, explicitly dedicated to mobility products and core next-generation technologies.
Biopharma: no material US-facing development in the last 24 hours.
BCW Take
The 15% cap holding is good news, alongside the chip cycle with record memory exports this month.
New: The Hyundai Way is now available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.
Inside the culture, leadership, and strategy that built a global automaker, the work-funneling model, the chaebol timeline, and the five transformation vectors reshaping Hyundai’s next decade.
Order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRPDFVNF
If your team is weighing Korea exposure this year, this is the lens I bring to client work. Reply if you’d like to talk.
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Headline: US reaffirms the 15 percent tariff ceiling for Korea
Top Story
Following Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo’s meeting with USTR Jamieson Greer in Paris, Washington confirmed no tariffs beyond the levels agreed in last year’s bilateral deal (15 percent, down from 25, in exchange for Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge).
Trade & Tariff
Effective June 8, Section 232 tariffs on Korean metal-content goods are capped at a maximum 15 percent including base duty, aligning metals treatment with the bilateral framework.
BCW Take
The tariff ceiling is holding. Firms with Korea exposure should map supply chains against the probe’s scope now, not after a determination lands. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang meetings with Korean executives continue to lift AI and robotics tie-up expectations.
Book Promo
New: The Hyundai Way is now available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. Inside the culture, leadership, and strategy that built a global automaker, the work-funneling model, the chaebol timeline, and the five transformation vectors reshaping Hyundai’s next decade.
Headline Nvidia’s 260,000-chip Korea supply deal anchors the AI buildout.
Top Story
Korea’s Industry and Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan said he received renewed US confirmation that tariffs on Korea will not exceed the agreed 15%, holding an emergency meeting to calm market jitters.
The reassurance matters because semiconductors and pharma carry most-favored-nation protection under the deal, shielding Samsung and SK hynix from worst-case Section 232 outcomes.
Sector Watch
Semiconductors: Samsung began shipping samples of its newest HBM chip, moving ahead of rivals on the memory critical to AI data centers.
Automotive/AI: Nvidia confirmed it will supply 260,000+ advanced AI chips to Korea’s government and firms including Samsung and Hyundai Motor Group.
BCW Take
The 15% cap and carve-outs gives Korean chipmakers rare tariff visibility; the real leverage now shifts to who locks in Nvidia and US shipbuilding contracts first.
New:The Hyundai Way is now available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. Inside the culture, leadership, and strategy that built a global automaker, the work-funneling model, the chaebol timeline, and the five transformation vectors reshaping Hyundai’s next decade. Order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRPDFVNF If your team is weighing Korea exposure this year, this is the lens I bring to client work. Reply if you’d like to talk.
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June 8, 2026Don SouthertonNewsComments Off on US reaffirms Korea tariff cap stays at 15% as the won slides to a 17-year low
Monday, June 8, 2026 | Bridging Culture Worldwide
Headline: US reaffirms Korea tariff cap stays at 15% as the won slides to a 17-year low.
Top Story
Korea’s Industry and Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Seoul received renewed US confirmation that tariffs on Korean goods will not exceed the 15% agreed last year, after talks with USTR on the margins of the OECD ministerial in Paris. It locks in the autos cut from 25% to 15% and keeps the $150B shipbuilding / $200B industrial investment framework on track.
Trade & Tariff
Both sides reaffirmed the existing deal; Korea stressed the “balance of benefits” must hold. Semiconductors remain on “no less favorable” terms versus peer competitors. Watch for the formal chip-tariff schedule pending since January.
Sector Watch
Semiconductors: Samsung and SK Hynix memory stay in focus under the pending US semiconductor tariff track.
Automotive: the 15% auto/parts rate (down from 25%) is the deal’s biggest near-term win for Hyundai and Kia.
Biopharma: quiet, no material 24-hour development.
Korean Corporate Tracker
Post-deal domestic commitments still anchor the picture: Samsung 450T won ($310B) over five years incl. a new Pyeongtaek line; Hyundai 125T won ($86.3B) 2026-2030 R&D; SK at least 128T won ($88.3B) through 2028, AI-focused.
Hanwha Watch
Hanwha is actively weighing a second US shipyard on top of its $5B Philly Shipyard build-out, eyeing US Navy submarine and LNG-carrier work as it scales toward 20 vessels/year.
BCW Take
The 15% ceiling holding plus a 17-year-low won means Korean exporters have rare tailwind room right now; the open question is how the still-unwritten chip tariff schedule lands.
New:The Hyundai Way is now available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.
Inside the culture, leadership, and strategy that built a global automaker, the work-funneling model, the chaebol timeline, and the five transformation vectors reshaping Hyundai’s next decade.
Korea spent the week cementing its place at the center of the global AI-hardware stack while locking down the most important number in the trade file: a 15% tariff ceiling. Not to mention, Nvidia's Jensen Huang touring Seoul to court the chaebol on AI chips and data centers.
Top Stories
1. Huang's Seoul Tour Puts Korea at the Center of the AI Stack
Fresh off GTC and Computex, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang landed in Korea (June 4–5) to meet SK's Chey, Hyundai's Euisun Chung, LG's Koo Kwang-mo, and Naver's Lee Hae-jin on sovereign AI, data centers.
Impact: Expect concrete chip and data-center commitments to follow. Korea's conglomerates are positioning as core nodes in Nvidia's global AI stack.
2. 15% Tariff Ceiling Confirmed
Korea secured US confirmation that tariffs will not exceed the agreed 15% ceiling. Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan met Commerce Secretary Lutnick to settle uncertainty after a new Section 301 forced-labor probe (up to 12.5% on select goods) emerged.
Impact: The 15% ceiling holding is the single most important signal for Korea-US deal flow this quarter.
3. Samsung's Memory Lead Drives the AI-Memory Cycle
Samsung began shipping samples of its newest HBM chip, moving ahead of rivals on memory critical to AI data centers, and surpassed Micron as the world's largest automotive memory supplier.
The global chip market is on track for $975B in 2026, up 26% on AI demand. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron also joined Anthropic's $65B Series H as strategic infrastructure partners.
4. Hanwha's US Industrial Play Advances
Hanwha Philly Shipyard's $5B transformation is underway, targeting up to 20 vessels/year and 7,000 jobs.
Hanwha Defense USA and Magnet Defense partnered on medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) and robotic shipyards, and the US Naval Institute's June Proceedings featured Philly Shipyard as a model for allied industrial cooperation. A Pine Bluff Arsenal (Arkansas) lease paves the way for a $1.3B Hanwha energetics facility.
5. Biopharma: Korea Becomes a Strategic Anchor
Samsung Biologics has risen to global Top 3, with foreign capital flowing into Lotte Biologics, Celltrion, and SK pharmteco.
Global pharma majors now treat Korea as a strategic anchor, not a low-cost vendor.
BCW Take
This was the week Korea's AI-hardware centrality and its trade-deal stability converged. The 15% ceiling gives clients a stable planning baseline; the forced-labor probe is the variable to watch. Huang's visit signals that the chaebol are no longer just suppliers, they are infrastructure partners in the West's AI buildout.
New from Don Southerton
My new book, Hyundai Way: Transformation, is now available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. It maps how Hyundai Motor Group moved from fast follower to global game changer, the work-funneling model, the chaebol timeline, and the five transformation vectors (robotics, software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving, hydrogen, urban air mobility) reshaping its next decade.
PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOAandGOLDEN, CO. March 2026 Bridging Culture Worldwide (BCW), a leading Korea-US business intelligence and advisory firm, today announced it will provide investor advisory support to the American Samoa Economic Development Council (ASEDC) under its growing investor advisory practice.
The engagement builds on a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between ASEDC and Critical Mineral Ventures, through which BCW Founder & CEO Don Southerton has been working to develop American Samoa’s deep-sea offshore critical mineral resources as a strategic non-China supply solution. The initiative aligns directly with the Trump administration’s executive actions on critical mineral supply chain security, domestic and allied-nation sourcing, and accelerated development of U.S. offshore mineral assets.
“The mission stays the same, helping American Samoa realize its extraordinary potential as a strategic supplier of battery-grade critical minerals,” said Southerton. “Bringing this work under BCW’s investor advisory umbrella gives ASEDC direct access to the Korea and broader Asia investor and strategic partner networks we’ve been building for years.”
ASEDC Executive Director John Wasko welcomed the expanded relationship. “Don has been a committed partner since day one. Having BCW’s full investor network behind this effort is a meaningful step forward.”
American Samoa’s deep-sea polymetallic nodule deposits represent an estimated 10 billion tons of high-grade ore, offering a significant and strategically located U.S. offshore source of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper. As the Trump administration moves to fast-track offshore and seabed critical mineral development and reduce dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains, American Samoa’s resources represent the strongest opportunities available.
About Bridging Culture Worldwide
Bridging Culture Worldwide is a Korea-US business intelligence and advisory firm specializing in market entry, investor positioning, and strategic partnerships across the automotive, technology, and critical materials sectors. www.bridgingculture.com
About the American Samoa Economic Development Council
The ASEDC promotes economic development in the Territory of American Samoa through collaborative efforts with the private sector, business community, and government. The ASEDC professional network is significantly in touch with down and midstream entities.
CES 2026 drew 148,000 attendees, including nearly 7,000 members of the media, making it the largest CES since the pandemic. Among the 4,100 exhibitors was the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ), which used the global stage to announce Incheon’s evolution from “Smart City” to “AI City.”
For over 20 years, Incheon has been at the forefront of Korea’s transformation and innovation and is now becoming an “AI City” that integrates AI technologies across the entire urban landscape.
As Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok stated, “CES 2026 is an important stage for presenting Incheon’s vision for its next growth leap—one that has led Korea’s transformation and innovation for over the past two decades—into an AI City. We will continue to do our utmost so that Incheon can establish itself as a leading global AI city.”
Beyond Smart Cities: The AI City Evolution
In my 2024 article “Smart Cities: A Tale of Innovation and Collaboration in South Korea,” I examined Songdo’s development within IFEZ, a community of 167,000 residents featuring underground waste tubes, traffic sensor networks, and integrated platforms that create a “15-minute city.”
Two years later, the strategic landscape has shifted. The concept of a “Smart City” has become commoditized. IFEZ’s pivot to an “AI City” signals that the next phase isn’t just about connected infrastructure but about artificial intelligence fundamentally reshaping how cities function.
Where Songdo laid the Smart City foundation with IoT sensors, the AI City vision layers sophisticated AI across those systems, moving from reactive data collection to predictive urban management.
Incheon has been central to Korea’s economic transformation—the international airport has reshaped global connectivity, and the free economic zone has drawn significant international investment.
The transformation from Smart City to AI City isn’t just about deploying technology; it’s about evolving the narrative. Cities that successfully attract international investment don’t just build infrastructure; they craft compelling stories about why global companies should be part of their future.
How 50 Years of Martial Arts Shaped a Global Business Career—Another Side of Don Southerton: Master Instructor
My public image is that of a passionate Korea-facing global business consultant, coach, trainer, strategist, social commentator, and author.
Throughout my career, I have been frequently called upon by major media outlets to provide expert commentary on Korean business culture and its impact on global organizations.
I have contributed insights to The Economist, BBC World Service, CNN, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Automotive News, The New York Times, CNBC, and NIKKEI Asia. I’m a frequent guest columnist for Branding in Asia.
Additionally, I maintain a robust digital presence on Medium, LinkedIn, a YouTube channel, and over a thousand blog posts on Korean business topics across various platforms, serving more than 10,000 professionals worldwide who work with Korean organizations.
Beyond my consulting and media work, I have also been an avid student and instructor of traditional Korean martial arts for 50 years. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, I trained extensively in Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do (now Soo Bahk Do) under the Korean system’s Founder and his son, the current Grand Master.
A highlight of these years included serving as Chief Instructor/Coach for the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I led both the cadet martial arts program and competition team.
Before shifting my focus to academia, writing, and global consultancy work, my martial arts schools were nationally recognized leaders in the industry and among the largest in America.
In 1987, I was promoted to master instructor in Tang Soo Do, and in 2013, I was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame, an honor that recognized my decades of dedication to traditional Korean martial arts and my contributions to bridging Eastern and Western cultures through martial arts education.
While no longer an active instructor or school owner, other than occasional visits to my close friend’s local school and their events, I have nevertheless continued as a practitioner.
Over the past 12 years, I have added some complex Chinese forms to my repertoire of over 35 hyung, the traditional sets of combative movements martial artists practice to hone their bodies and minds.
I have always seen martial arts as not only a way of staying in shape through a wide range of stretching, kicking, and hand movements, but also as a demanding mental discipline. I attribute much of my success in business to the discipline, self-control, patience, and focus sharpened over a lifetime in the martial arts, not to mention the cultural dimension inherent in a traditional Korean art.
My deep understanding of Korean culture and traditions, cultivated through decades of martial arts practice, naturally informed my professional path and ultimately led to the founding of Bridging Culture Worldwide in 2003.
Accelerate Your Korean Business Expertiseandwhat you’ll gain: Transform your approach to Korean business with insider knowledge of cultural nuances, market dynamics, and relationship-building strategies. Stay current with how global trends shape Korea’s rapidly evolving landscape while developing practical skills for successful stakeholder partnerships.
Course Experience: Six weeks of interactive virtual sessions featuring live Q&A, tailored discussions, and real-world case studies. Flexible scheduling arranged post-registration to accommodate your professional commitments.
Accelerate Your Korean Business Expertise Whether you’re a new hire, working on Korea-focused projects, or an experienced professional expanding your market reach, this intensive program delivers actionable insights for immediate application.
I am quoted and contributed to the article …. Don Southerton
KIM JAEWON and PAK YIU
September 11, 2025 12:16 JST
Updated on September 11, 2025 14:47 JST
SEOUL/NEW YORK — Moon Young-ju could not contain his anger when he heard the news that over 300 South Koreans had been detained after U.S. immigration authorities last week raided a joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery factory under construction in the state of Georgia.
The 54-year-old former merchant protested in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul on Wednesday with a yellow banner reading: “Yankees go home. Get out america army.”
“I came here because I was so upset,” Moon said after lighting a cigarette. “We invested as they demanded. We built factories as they demanded. It’s our blood, sweat and tears.”
Moon is not alone. South Korea’s government faces widespread public outcry and calls to stand up to the U.S. over the treatment of its arrested citizens, some of whom were seen in footage being led away restrained by body chains, although the two sides have since agreed to send the detained workers home this week on a charter flight.
The raid came as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes ahead with a crackdown on illegal immigration even as he demands that countries like South Korea make massive investments to build state-of-the art production facilities in America — part of his policy of “reshoring” manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said at a news conference on Thursday that the raid would likely make some companies from his country “hesitant” to carry out more large investments in the U.S. “Companies are quite taken aback. The fact is that they sent these workers to the U.S. not for the long term, but to set up machinery in a factory because there aren’t enough workers in the U.S. who know how to do that,” he said.
The raid and the accompanying national indignation have pushed Seoul to demand that Washington loosen visa rules for workers from abroad amid confusion about the status of the detained.
Lee expressed hope that authorities in the two nations could negotiate changes to visa regulations that would make it easier for South Korean firms to send workers to the U.S. for limited periods.
The government dispatched Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to Washington. The ministry said that he had a meeting with U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Wednesday, asking the secretary of state to set up a new visa category for South Korean workers.
He also told Rubio that South Koreans were “hurt and shocked” by the arrests of their compatriots, who came to the U.S. to contribute to the revival of the country’s manufacturing industry.
After arriving on Tuesday, he hosted a meeting with executives from eight South Korean companies operating businesses in the U.S., including LG and Hyundai Motor.
Company executives asked the minister to bring up with the U.S. the potential launch of a separate visa under the E-4 category — which currently covers certain classes of special immigrants — for South Korean professionals, as well as increasing approvals of E-2 visas — which cover professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability — for South Korean companies investing in America. They also asked the U.S. government to clarify guidelines for B-1 visas, a short-term business visa that employees of South Korean companies get when they make work trips to the country. Many of the detained South Korean workers held such a visa.
Cho told the businesspeople that their concerns had already been conveyed to Washington and pledged to continue making efforts to ensure the smooth operation of South Korean companies investing in the U.S.
Moon Young-ju stands next to his protest banner near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 10. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
South Korean companies complain that there is only a limited quota of B-1 visas, meaning they cannot get them when they need them.
“Sometimes we need to send our employees immediately,” said an industry source familiar with the issue, who also requested anonymity. “It’s not easy to set up a plan a year in advance. Many Korean companies raised this issue before. I’m very sorry that [the raid] happened before the problem was resolved.”
The incident has rattled Asian investors who have set up factories in the U.S. and highlights some of the labor difficulties foreign companies face. Companies are now wondering how they can set up and build manufacturing in the U.S. if they don’t have support from the authorities, said Don Southerton, a business consultant who works with South Korean companies such as Hyundai.
He anticipates some projects will slow down, and this will send ripples through America’s battery market. Southerton says the incident underscores the urgency of visa revisions that would allow expat engineers to work more effectively and streamline projects that will foster American manufacturing. Currently, he said, the visa system “allows them to teach how to use a screwdriver but doesn’t actually allow them to use a screwdriver. How can you show them how it’s done without actually demonstrating?”
On Monday, South Korea’s foreign minister said that resolving the visa issue is a precondition for the country to deliver the$150 billion in investments promised during a summit between the two allies last month.
“At the previous summit, there was a request for … [South] Korea’s large-scale investment, and we also responded to it. To achieve it, I would stress to the U.S. side that this visa issue is a precondition,” Cho told lawmakers before his trip to the U.S. capital.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said foreign companies were encouraged to legally bring “your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products.” He added, “We will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”
Analysts said that South Korea needs to use its investment package as leverage to pressure the Trump administration into reaching an agreement on the issue.
“Because there are already pledges of large-scale investment, it should be possible to solve the visa quota issue within that framework,” said Jung Jae-hwan, a professor of international politics and economy at Inha University in Incheon.
“Of course the U.S. could impose new conditions, such as a certain portion of local hires, but at least they should be able to mitigate the recurrence of this kind of detention case.”
South Korea seeks US visa rule changes after mass arrests spark outrage
I am quoted and contributed to the article …. Don Southerton
KIM JAEWON and PAK YIU
September 11, 2025 12:16 JST
Updated on September 11, 2025 14:47 JST
SEOUL/NEW YORK — Moon Young-ju could not contain his anger when he heard the news that over 300 South Koreans had been detained after U.S. immigration authorities last week raided a joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery factory under construction in the state of Georgia.
The 54-year-old former merchant protested in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Seoul on Wednesday with a yellow banner reading: “Yankees go home. Get out america army.”
“I came here because I was so upset,” Moon said after lighting a cigarette. “We invested as they demanded. We built factories as they demanded. It’s our blood, sweat and tears.”
Moon is not alone. South Korea’s government faces widespread public outcry and calls to stand up to the U.S. over the treatment of its arrested citizens, some of whom were seen in footage being led away restrained by body chains, although the two sides have since agreed to send the detained workers home this week on a charter flight.
The raid came as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes ahead with a crackdown on illegal immigration even as he demands that countries like South Korea make massive investments to build state-of-the art production facilities in America — part of his policy of “reshoring” manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said at a news conference on Thursday that the raid would likely make some companies from his country “hesitant” to carry out more large investments in the U.S. “Companies are quite taken aback. The fact is that they sent these workers to the U.S. not for the long term, but to set up machinery in a factory because there aren’t enough workers in the U.S. who know how to do that,” he said.
The raid and the accompanying national indignation have pushed Seoul to demand that Washington loosen visa rules for workers from abroad amid confusion about the status of the detained.
Lee expressed hope that authorities in the two nations could negotiate changes to visa regulations that would make it easier for South Korean firms to send workers to the U.S. for limited periods.
The government dispatched Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to Washington. The ministry said that he had a meeting with U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Wednesday, asking the secretary of state to set up a new visa category for South Korean workers.
He also told Rubio that South Koreans were “hurt and shocked” by the arrests of their compatriots, who came to the U.S. to contribute to the revival of the country’s manufacturing industry.
After arriving on Tuesday, he hosted a meeting with executives from eight South Korean companies operating businesses in the U.S., including LG and Hyundai Motor.
Company executives asked the minister to bring up with the U.S. the potential launch of a separate visa under the E-4 category — which currently covers certain classes of special immigrants — for South Korean professionals, as well as increasing approvals of E-2 visas — which cover professionals with advanced degrees and persons of exceptional ability — for South Korean companies investing in America. They also asked the U.S. government to clarify guidelines for B-1 visas, a short-term business visa that employees of South Korean companies get when they make work trips to the country. Many of the detained South Korean workers held such a visa.
Cho told the businesspeople that their concerns had already been conveyed to Washington and pledged to continue making efforts to ensure the smooth operation of South Korean companies investing in the U.S.
Moon Young-ju stands next to his protest banner near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Sept. 10. (Photo by Kim Jaewon)
South Korean companies complain that there is only a limited quota of B-1 visas, meaning they cannot get them when they need them.
“Sometimes we need to send our employees immediately,” said an industry source familiar with the issue, who also requested anonymity. “It’s not easy to set up a plan a year in advance. Many Korean companies raised this issue before. I’m very sorry that [the raid] happened before the problem was resolved.”
The incident has rattled Asian investors who have set up factories in the U.S. and highlights some of the labor difficulties foreign companies face. Companies are now wondering how they can set up and build manufacturing in the U.S. if they don’t have support from the authorities, said Don Southerton, a business consultant who works with South Korean companies such as Hyundai.
He anticipates some projects will slow down, and this will send ripples through America’s battery market. Southerton says the incident underscores the urgency of visa revisions that would allow expat engineers to work more effectively and streamline projects that will foster American manufacturing. Currently, he said, the visa system “allows them to teach how to use a screwdriver but doesn’t actually allow them to use a screwdriver. How can you show them how it’s done without actually demonstrating?”
On Monday, South Korea’s foreign minister said that resolving the visa issue is a precondition for the country to deliver the$150 billion in investments promised during a summit between the two allies last month.
“At the previous summit, there was a request for … [South] Korea’s large-scale investment, and we also responded to it. To achieve it, I would stress to the U.S. side that this visa issue is a precondition,” Cho told lawmakers before his trip to the U.S. capital.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said foreign companies were encouraged to legally bring “your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products.” He added, “We will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.”
Analysts said that South Korea needs to use its investment package as leverage to pressure the Trump administration into reaching an agreement on the issue.
“Because there are already pledges of large-scale investment, it should be possible to solve the visa quota issue within that framework,” said Jung Jae-hwan, a professor of international politics and economy at Inha University in Incheon.
“Of course the U.S. could impose new conditions, such as a certain portion of local hires, but at least they should be able to mitigate the recurrence of this kind of detention case.”
Additional reporting by Steven Borowiec.
South Korea seeks US visa rule changes after mass arrests spark outrage