What will Kim Jung-kwan do in the United States during his Sept. 1-4 trip?

He will attend the G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting in North Carolina on Sept. 2, hold a roundtable with KOTRA in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 3, and join the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana steel plant on the following day.

Why is Kim Jung-kwan visiting the United States now?

The ministry said the trip is meant to strengthen economic ties, advance supply chain cooperation through Korean companies in the United States, and attract foreign direct investment in Korea from U.S. companies.

What investment plans are tied to the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana steel plant project?

The plant is part of a $26 billion investment plan in the United States announced by Hyundai Motor Group last year. Hyundai Steel separately said it would invest $5.8 billion to build the Louisiana mill by 2029, with production to start the same year.

Industry minister to visit US for G20 meeting, to boost economic ties

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Summary

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan will visit the United States from Sept. 1-4 to attend a G20 meeting on innovation and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana steel plant. He will discuss AI cooperation in North Carolina on Sept. 2 and hold a KOTRA roundtable in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 3. The ministry said the trip is meant to boost economic ties and attract foreign direct investment into Korea. Kim said the visit also aims to reaffirm supply chain cooperation through Korean investments in the United States.

Key Facts

Kim Jung-kwan will attend the G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting in North Carolina on Sept. 2.
The meeting will focus on global cooperation on AI innovation, including AI intellectual property rights, standards and supply chains.
On Sept. 3, Kim will hold a roundtable in Washington, D.C., with KOTRA to seek foreign direct investment from U.S. companies in semiconductors, advanced materials and offshore wind power.
The following day, he will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana steel plant.
Hyundai Steel said in March last year that it would invest $5.8 billion to build an integrated electric arc furnace-based steel mill in Louisiana by 2029, with production scheduled to begin the same year.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 1, 2026 10:42 am KST

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, center, departs from Incheon International Airport to attend the G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting in North Carolina, Tuesday. Yonhap

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan will visit the United States from Sept. 1-4 (U.S. time) to attend a Group of 20 (G20) meeting on innovation and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana steel plant (HPLS), the ministry said Tuesday.

Kim will first attend the G20 Innovation Ministerial Meeting in North Carolina, on Sept. 2 to discuss ways to strengthen global cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, focusing on AI intellectual property rights, standards and supply chains, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said in a press release.

On Sept. 3, Kim will hold a roundtable in Washington, D.C., with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in a bid to attract foreign direct investment in Korea from U.S. companies in semiconductors, advanced materials and offshore wind power.

He will also hear from U.S. companies about their investments in Korea and their views on the country's investment environment, the ministry said.

The following day, Kim will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the HPLS. The project is part of a $26 billion investment plan in the U.S. announced by Hyundai Motor Group last year.

Hyundai Steel announced in March last year it will invest $5.8 billion to build an integrated electric arc furnace-based steel mill in Louisiana by 2029, with production scheduled to begin the same year.

Korean steelmaker POSCO is also participating in the project as it seeks to strengthen supply chain cooperation in North America.

"This trip is aimed at reaffirming our commitment to supply chain cooperation through investments by Korean companies in the U.S., while attracting investments by U.S. companies in Korea," Kim said.

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