Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg met with Republic of Korea Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina in Washington for the U.S.-ROK Senior Economic Dialogue (SED). The meeting reinforced commitments made during recent presidential summits between the United States and South Korea, held in Washington and Gyeongju earlier this year. Both officials expressed anticipation for the upcoming ROK-U.S. Joint Public-Private Economic Forum scheduled to take place in Seoul on December 16.
During the SED, participants highlighted the Strategic Trade and Investment deal, which has resulted in $350 billion invested toward reindustrialization efforts in the United States. This agreement is seen as key to advancing cooperation on trade, energy security, shipbuilding, and new technologies. Discussions also addressed ongoing investments by South Korean government and private sector entities in American manufacturing, as well as initiatives to make business travel from Korea to the United States easier through the U.S.-ROK Business Travel and Visas Working Group.
Both sides emphasized strengthening joint economic security measures and ensuring reliable supply chains. They explored ways to align economic and national security strategies to maintain competitiveness and secure supply lines, including addressing unfair or non-market practices. Further collaboration on critical minerals was discussed, with Under Secretary Helberg noting South Korea’s role in promoting resilient supply chains at both regional and multilateral levels.
The dialogue also included discussion on leveraging industrial competitiveness to support economic stability in conflict zones, reflecting ongoing efforts inspired by previous U.S. policy achievements aimed at lasting peace.
This meeting marked the tenth session of the SED and reaffirmed the continued significance of the U.S.-ROK Alliance for a stable Indo-Pacific region.
