Reception of the National Governors Association Held at the Korean Embassy... "Revitalizing Korea-US Business Exchanges"

Providing Exchange Opportunities Between U.S. Governors and Domestic Companies

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] For the first time, the official reception event of the National Governors Association (NGA) meeting, where U.S. governors gather annually to discuss policies and issue resolutions, was held at the Korean Ambassador’s Residence in the United States on the 8th (local time).

Held as part of the NGA Winter Meeting from the 7th to the 9th of this month in Washington D.C., the reception was attended by about 140 people including Lee Soo-hyuk, the Korean Ambassador to the U.S. and host of the event, Larry Hogan, NGA Chair and Governor of Maryland, governors from 26 states, state government officials, and key figures from the Korean business community.

This was the first time the reception was held at the Korean Ambassador’s Residence in the U.S., and this year, twice as many governors attended compared to last year’s event held at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence. It is known that the event being held at the Korean Ambassador’s Residence was largely due to the efforts of Larry Hogan, Maryland Governor and NGA Chair, and his Korean-American wife, Yumi Hogan.

At the official reception, President Moon Jae-in emphasized the activation of Korean companies’ investment in the U.S. and the strong Korea-U.S. alliance through a video message. In particular, the fact that the cumulative investment amount of Korean companies in the U.S. has reached $147.5 billion was met with encouraging reactions from the majority of governors.

In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk said, "I am honored to welcome the governors for the first time at a residence built in traditional Korean style," and expressed gratitude to "Governor Hogan and his wife, known as the ‘Korean son-in-law,’ and Chung Eui-sun, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, who visited the U.S. despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrated close Korea-U.S. cooperation in the economic sector."

Ambassador Lee also stated, "As Ambassador to the U.S., I will continue efforts to strengthen bilateral relations in all areas including politics, security, and economy," and urged, "I ask all governors to continue their interest and support for the development of Korea-U.S. relations."

On the 8th (local time), attendees of the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting reception held at the Korean Ambassador's Residence in Washington D.C. took a commemorative photo. From the front row, third from the right, are Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk and Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland and NGA Chair. Photo by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S.

At the event, senior executives from leading Korean companies such as Hyundai Motor Group, Samsung, and LG attended to engage in personal exchanges with the governors and discuss ways to enhance Korea-U.S. economic cooperation. Hyundai Motor Group introduced the eco-friendliness of the hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo with a demonstration of its air purification function at the entrance of the Ambassador’s Residence, showcasing Nexo’s technology and the vision for a future hydrogen society based on hydrogen energy to the U.S. governors.

In a toast representing Korean businesspeople, Executive Vice Chairman Chung said, "I thank the governors who are working hard on economic exchanges and cooperation with Korea and countries around the world," emphasizing that "the friendship and trust derived from the values we share are more important than anything else."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.