From Chile to the United States: Chairman Seokjin Kang’s Trans-America Global On-Site Activities

Crossing the Americas in Nine Days
Establishing Strategies to Respond to U.S. Tariffs

Seokjin Kang, Chairman of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), traveled across the Americas from Santiago, Chile to Houston, United States, as part of his global on-site activities. His itinerary focused on strategic locations that enable the development of strategies to respond to U.S. tariffs, and was described as an intensive schedule.

According to KOSME on April 29, Chairman Kang visited Chile, Mexico, and the United States consecutively over a nine-day period, returning to Korea on this day. His main objectives were to diversify supply chains through Latin America and to establish a foundation for direct entry into the U.S. market.

First, upon arriving in Santiago, Chile on the 21st, he assessed the changes in Chile’s economic landscape following the launch of a second Trump administration and reviewed strategies for supply chain diversification. To support Korean SMEs’ entry into the local market, he established cooperative relationships with Autonoma University and the Chilean SME Technology Cooperation Agency. KOSME explained that a collaborative system was created so that Korean SMEs and startups could benefit from policy support provided by the Chilean government.

Chairman Seokjin Kang (sixth from the left in the front row) is taking a commemorative photo with officials from the Mexico City meeting on the 25th. Jungjin Corporation

On the 24th, Chairman Kang traveled to Mexico City, where he held a roundtable the following day with Korean companies operating in Mexico to enhance on-the-ground responses to the imposition of high U.S. tariffs. The roundtable provided an opportunity to hear directly from Korean SMEs in Mexico that are considering relocating or expanding their production bases in response to the spread of protectionism and the strengthening of U.S. trade barriers. Chairman Kang communicated with local companies and listened to their opinions on key issues such as responses to U.S. tariffs, rules of origin requirements, rising logistics costs, and complex certification procedures. He also met with Fernando, Director General of Production Development at the Mexican Ministry of Economy, to convey the challenges faced by Korean companies in the field.

Chairman Seokjin Kang (right) is taking a commemorative photo with Chairman William TMC after signing an agreement on the 28th. Jungjin Corporation

The subsequent visit to Houston, United States, focused on building a cooperative network to expand the entry of Korean SMEs in new industries?such as aerospace, advanced materials and components, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and medical healthcare?into the U.S. market. To this end, KOSME first signed an MOU with the Texas Medical Center (TMC). TMC is a global medical cluster comprising more than 60 hospitals, research institutions, medical schools, and specialized treatment centers. It attracts over 10 million visitors annually and is home to more than 100,000 medical professionals, making it a hub of global healthcare innovation. KOSME and TMC agreed to jointly develop programs to support the entry of Korean bio and digital healthcare SMEs and startups into the U.S. market. In addition, KOSME held multilateral working meetings with Space Center Houston, the Houston Spaceport, and the Greater Houston Partnership, agreeing to collaborate in supporting promising Korean companies in the aerospace and AI sectors.

Chairman Kang stated, "We will establish practical partnerships with world-class institutions to promote the utilization of local resources and create sustainable business models."

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