U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will hold a business roundtable with leaders of major Korean and American companies in Gyeongju on October 29, 2025. The event, a sideline to the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, is set to discuss industrial cooperation amid a pledged $350 billion investment from Seoul. The two countries are negotiating details of a potential bilateral trade agreement.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will hold a business roundtable with leaders of major Korean and American companies in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering, Seoul officials said. The event is scheduled at the Gyeongju Arts Center later in the day, on the sidelines of the planned summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, though the schedule may change.
Expected attendees include Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, and Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan. U.S. business figures visiting Gyeongju for the APEC CEO Summit, such as Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, are also likely to participate.
The participants are expected to discuss industrial cooperation, as Seoul has pledged a combined $350 billion investment in the United States for collaboration in sectors including shipbuilding, semiconductors, and batteries, part of a framework trade deal between the two countries in late July. Attention is focused on whether the two nations can finalize their bilateral trade agreement at the Lee-Trump summit later that day, with ongoing disputes over details like financing methods and profit allocation.
Korea and the U.S. hosted a similar event in Washington in August, also as a sideline to the Lee-Trump summit. This APEC gathering serves as a key platform for strengthening bilateral economic ties.