South Korea's Trade Minister Meets Governors of 11 U.S. States to Expand Nuclear Power and Shipbuilding Cooperation

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated on August 2 that the Trade Negotiation Minister attended the “2026 National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting” in Oklahoma City from July 30 to August 1, during which he held a series of meetings with governors from 11 states including Tennessee, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah, Maryland, South Dakota, and Vermont, calling for expanded cooperation in high-tech and strategic industries such as nuclear power, shipbuilding, and batteries, and requesting support from state governments for Korean companies' investments and local operations in the U.S.

Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Energy is advancing the “Nuclear Life-cycle Innovation Campus (NLIC)” project, and on the 28th of last month selected five candidate sites from 26 applicant states: Tennessee, Oklahoma, Utah, Louisiana, and Idaho. The Trade Negotiation Minister discussed nuclear power cooperation plans with the governors of Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Utah who attended the event, and all parties agreed on the need for cooperation across the full nuclear life cycle, including uranium, nuclear power plant construction and operation, and spent nuclear fuel management. Additionally, he met with former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and both sides agreed that cooperation in strategic industries closely linked to economic security, such as shipbuilding and nuclear power, is of critical importance.

This visit to the U.S. came approximately one week after his Washington trip from July 21 to 24. During that earlier visit, the Trade Negotiation Minister met with 10 members of the U.S. Congress from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, explaining South Korea's position that its digital legal policies do not discriminate against American companies, and requesting expanded cooperation in semiconductors, shipbuilding, and energy. This visit extended engagement to the state government level. At a business roundtable hosted by the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, he also reviewed the status of cooperation with more than 10 U.S. companies in aerospace, biotechnology, defense, and finance, and discussed future plans. The Trade Negotiation Minister stated that state governments play a crucial role in supporting Korean companies' investments and activities in the U.S., and expressed hope for actively identifying and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation projects at the state government level going forward.