Euisun Chung also lends support to 'tariff negotiations'…Top business leaders flock to the United States

Following Dong-Kwan Kim and Jae-Yong Lee, major business leaders are mobilizing

Expected to strengthen discussions on car tariff reductions

Euisun Chung, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, is heading to Washington to support tariff negotiations with the United States.

According to government officials on the 30th, Chairman Chung is scheduled to depart for Washington, D.C. this afternoon.

Following Vice Chairman Dong-Kwan Kim of Hanwha Group and Chairman Jae-Yong Lee of Samsung Electronics, Chung becomes the third major business figure to join the U.S. delegation to assist in the ongoing, final-stage tariff negotiations.

Previously, on the 28th, Vice Chairman Dong-Kwan Kim traveled to Washington to put forward 'MASGA' (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again), a shipbuilding industry cooperation project proposed by South Korea. The following day, on the 29th, Jae-Yong Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, joined as well.

It is reported that Chairman Lee intends to propose expanding semiconductor investment in the U.S. and advancing cooperation in cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor technology as negotiation points. With Euisun Chung, leader of the world’s third-largest automaker and previously involved in major local investment announcements with the Trump administration, joining, the Korean negotiating team is expected to gain significant momentum.

Back in March, Hyundai Motor Group, led by Chairman Chung, announced a $21 billion investment plan in the United States that included expanding vehicle production in Georgia and building a new steel plant in Louisiana, following a direct meeting with President Trump.

Especially since April, a 25% tariff has been imposed on imported automobiles. Meanwhile, Korea’s primary competitors, Japan and the European Union (EU), have succeeded in reducing their rates to 15%, which highlights the importance of Chung’s role in the negotiation process.

Eunji Cha, Hankyung.com journalist chachacha@hankyung.com