Korean Companies Double U.S. Lobbying in 5 Years... Samsung Spent $12.1 Million Last Year

South Korean Companies Expand U.S. Lobbying Expenditures
$15.53 Million in 2020 to $35.32 Million in 2024

It has been revealed that major South Korean companies have more than doubled their lobbying expenditures in the United States over the past five years. In particular, Samsung recorded the largest amount, spending $8.62 million (approximately 12.1 billion KRW) last year alone.

On October 1, CEO Score, a corporate data research institute, analyzed Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) reports submitted to the U.S. Senate and found that a total of 52 major South Korean corporate entities reported lobbying activities in the U.S. between 2020 and the first half of 2025.

The amount spent by South Korean companies on U.S. lobbying steadily increased from $15.53 million in 2020 to $24.92 million in 2023. In the presidential election year of 2024, the figure surged by 41.8% year-on-year to $35.32 million. For the first half of 2025, the total reached $19.66 million, up 12.6% from the same period the previous year.

The number of lobbying reports submitted also rose from 127 in 2020 to 288 last year. In the first half of this year, 161 reports were filed.

As of last year, seven groups spent more than $1 million on lobbying: Samsung, SK, Hanwha, Hyundai Motor, LG, Young Poong, and Coupang Inc. Samsung led the list with a total of $8.62 million, including $2.56 million in indirect expenditures and $6.06 million in direct expenditures.

SK followed with $7.08 million, Hanwha with $6.05 million, Hyundai Motor with $4.78 million, and Coupang Inc. with $3.31 million. LG ($1.34 million), Young Poong ($1 million), POSCO ($960,000), Korea International Trade Association ($490,000), and CJ ($400,000) were next in line.

Notably, Hanwha increased its lobbying spending more than tenfold, from $450,000 to $6.05 million during the same period. This was attributed to more active direct lobbying following Hanwha Q Cells’ expansion of its solar plant in the United States. Samsung also saw a 71% increase, from $5.04 million to $8.62 million.

From 2020 to the first half of this year, Samsung ranked first in cumulative lobbying expenditures at $39.64 million, followed by SK ($35.98 million), Hyundai Motor ($23.57 million), Hanwha ($12.98 million), and Coupang ($7.99 million).

CEO Score stated, "The increase in U.S. lobbying expenditures can be interpreted as a response to political risks associated with the presidential election, changes in U.S. industrial policy, and the expansion of local investments."

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