PM stresses profitability of $350 bil. US investment pledge, rejects discrimination claims

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Friday in Seoul that Korea’s $350 billion investment pledge to the United States must be commercially viable and benefit both countries. She said the government does not discriminate against companies by nationality and that negotiations are moving smoothly. Han also said the first project could help set a model for wider bilateral cooperation.

Han said the first project is expected to be a gas-fired power plant in Texas.

Seoul is considering up to eight nuclear reactors in the United States and participation in a liquefied natural gas project in Alaska.

Han said the investment plan has reportedly been finalized, with an announcement expected as early as Sept. 17 or 18.

Published Sep 11, 2026 4:05 pm KST

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, left, speaks as American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) Chairman James Kim listens during a meeting hosted by AMCHAM in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Friday that Korea’s $350 billion investment commitment to the United States must be commercially viable and deliver tangible benefits to both countries.

During a meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) in Seoul, she also said the Korean government does not discriminate against companies based on nationality.

“Rather than benefiting only one side, it must bring substantive benefits to both countries while maintaining commercial viability,” Han said during the meeting at The Shilla Seoul hotel. “As this is an investment, discussions are also taking place on how to ensure profitability.”

The prime minister added that negotiations were progressing smoothly and that establishing a successful model through the first project could pave the way for broader bilateral cooperation.

Her remarks came in response to a question from AMCHAM Chairman James Kim, who said stakeholders he met during a recent visit to Washington repeatedly expressed concern that Korea’s investment pledge had yet to produce concrete results.

Han’s comments appeared aimed at drawing a line against Washington pressing Seoul to finance projects that may serve U.S. policy goals but lack sufficient commercial rationale for Korean investors.

The first project is expected to be a gas-fired power plant in Texas. Seoul is also considering building up to eight nuclear reactors in the United States and participating in a liquefied natural gas project in Alaska, although questions about their feasibility remain.

The investment plan has reportedly been finalized, with an announcement expected as early as Sept. 17 or 18.

The prime minister also denied that the Korean government discriminates against foreign companies, addressing another concern Kim said he heard in Washington, particularly regarding U.S. digital businesses.

“If companies are concerned about discrimination in certain areas, I believe the government should provide sufficient explanations,” Han said. “But I can state very clearly that we absolutely do not discriminate against companies based on their nationality.”

The issue has gained prominence amid friction over Korean regulators’ treatment of Coupang, a U.S.-incorporated e-commerce company.

Coupang reportedly sought support in Washington after facing regulatory action in Korea over a customer data breach, fueling perceptions among some U.S. stakeholders that American companies were being unfairly targeted.

Han invited AMCHAM and its member companies to present specific regulatory difficulties, pledging to convey their concerns to relevant government agencies.

In a separate speech, she also emphasized the need to expand Korea-U.S. cooperation in artificial intelligence and other advanced industries, turn the bilateral strategic partnership into concrete achievements and create a friendly environment in which businesses can invest.

韩国总理韩成淑周五在首尔表示，韩国对美国承诺的3500亿美元投资必须具有商业可行性，并惠及两国。她表示，政府不会因公司国籍而歧视，谈判进展顺利。韩成淑还表示，首个项目有望为更广泛的双边合作树立典范。

韩表示，第一个项目预计将是位于德克萨斯州的一座燃气发电厂。

首尔正在考虑在美国建设多达八个核反应堆，并参与阿拉斯加的一个液化天然气项目。

韩表示，该投资计划据称已经最终敲定，预计最早将于9月17日或18日宣布。

发布于2026年9月11日下午4:05（韩国标准时间）

周五，在首尔举行的由韩国美国商会（AMCHAM）主办的会议上，韩国总理韩成淑（左）发表讲话，韩国美国商会会长金詹姆斯（James Kim）在旁聆听。（韩联社）

韩国总理韩成淑周五表示，韩国对美国3500亿美元的投资承诺必须在商业上可行，并为两国带来切实利益。

在首尔举行的由韩国美国商会 (AMCHAM) 主办的一次会议上，她还表示，韩国政府不会基于国籍歧视公司。

韩先生在首尔新罗酒店举行的会议上表示：“该项目不应只惠及一方，而应在保持商业可行性的同时，为两国带来实质性利益。由于这是一项投资，我们也在讨论如何确保盈利能力。”

首相补充说，谈判进展顺利，通过第一个项目建立成功的模式可以为更广泛的双边合作铺平道路。

她的这番话是对美国商会主席詹姆斯·金提出的问题作出的回应。詹姆斯·金表示，他最近访问华盛顿期间遇到的利益相关者多次表达了担忧，认为韩国的投资承诺尚未产生具体成果。

韩的言论似乎意在表明，韩国政府不应向华盛顿施压，要求首尔为那些可能服务于美国政策目标但对韩国投资者而言缺乏足够商业合理性的项目提供资金。

第一个项目预计将是位于德克萨斯州的一座燃气发电厂。首尔还在考虑在美国建造多达八座核反应堆，并参与阿拉斯加的一个液化天然气项目，尽管这些项目的可行性仍存在疑问。

据报道，该投资计划已经最终确定，预计最早将于9月17日或18日宣布。

韩国总理还否认韩国政府歧视外国公司，并回应了金正恩在华盛顿听到的另一个担忧，特别是关于美国数字企业的担忧。

韩表示：“如果企业对某些领域的歧视感到担忧，我认为政府应该给出充分的解释。但我可以非常明确地声明，我们绝对不会基于国籍歧视任何企业。”

由于韩国监管机构对美国注册的电子商务公司 Coupang 的处理方式引发了摩擦，这个问题变得尤为突出。

据报道，Coupang 在韩国因客户数据泄露事件面临监管行动后，寻求华盛顿方面的支持，这加剧了一些美国利益相关者的看法，即美国公司受到了不公平的对待。

韩邀请美国商会及其成员公司提出具体的监管难题，并承诺将他们的关切转达给相关政府机构。

在另一次讲话中，她还强调需要扩大韩美在人工智能和其他先进产业领域的合作，将双边战略伙伴关系转化为具体成果，并创造一个有利于企业投资的友好环境。