Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Atlanta, Georgia from October 1-3, 2024, to attend the 9th Annual U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Senior Economic Dialogue (SED). This marks the first time the SED will be held outside of the capitals of either country. The event will spotlight over $24 billion in ROK private sector investment in Georgia pledged over the past three years.
During his visit, Under Secretary Fernandez is scheduled to deliver keynote remarks at the ROK-U.S. Joint Public Private Economic Forum. The forum is hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Georgia Institute of Technology’s campus. Following this event, Under Secretary Fernandez and members of the Korean delegation will tour Georgia Tech’s 3D Systems and Packaging Research Center. They will meet with student and faculty researchers there.
The delegation will also engage with Korean firm Absolics regarding its research partnership with Georgia Tech and its investment in Covington, Georgia aimed at developing substrates technology for semiconductor advanced packaging.
Later during his trip, Under Secretary Fernandez will co-chair the 9th U.S.-ROK SED. He plans to underline strong bilateral trade and investment relationships with South Korea while continuing cooperation in critical minerals, semiconductors, and energy security sectors. A bilateral dinner with his Korean counterpart is scheduled to close out the SED.
Throughout these meetings, Under Secretary Fernandez aims to promote a stronger U.S.-ROK alliance by emphasizing close cooperation on economic security issues as well as clean energy transition and climate finance initiatives. He will also highlight how recent legislative achievements by the Biden-Harris Administration—such as the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act—have driven foreign direct investment into Georgia and across the United States.
For those interested in attending or watching a livestream of the CSIS forum, registration details are available online. Interview requests for keynote speakers can be directed via email to Sam Cestari at scestari@csis.org. Updates on Under Secretary Fernandez's activities can be followed on social media platforms X (@State_E), LinkedIn (@State-E), and Facebook (@StateDeptE). Press inquiries should be sent to E_Communications@state.gov.
