On July 2, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE), led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol, and the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corporation (KUIC; President Park Jong Won) held the inaugural meeting of the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Steering Committee (the “Steering Committee”) at KUIC headquarters in Sejong City.

[Role and Functions of the Steering Committee]

Established pursuant to the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Act, which entered into force on June 18, the Steering Committee, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, serves as the highest domestic decision-making body on Korea-U.S. strategic investment. It also functions as the control tower overseeing the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment, signed on November 14, 2025, including USD 200 billion in investment in the U.S. and USD 150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation investment.

Specifically, the Steering Committee will deliberate and resolve matters concerning the overall planning and operation of Korea-U.S. strategic investment, including investment in the U.S. and shipbuilding cooperation investment; decision-making on Korea-U.S. strategic investment,

including whether to proceed with investment projects and the scale and timing of investment execution; and the operation of KUIC, as well as the establishment and management of the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Fund.

[Decision-Making Framework for Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment]

Going forward, proposed investment projects under the USD 200 billion investment initiative in the U.S. will first undergo review and deliberation by the Project Management Committee for Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment (the “Project Management Committee”), launched on June 23 and chaired by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, with respect to their commercial viability, as well as strategic and legal considerations. The Steering Committee, launched today, will then comprehensively assess factors such as the financial situation before deliberating and resolving whether to proceed with the proposed projects.

Projects resolved by the Steering Committee will then proceed through reporting to (or obtaining approval from) the National Assembly and consultations with the U.S. side, after which the President of the U.S. will select the investment recipients. The Steering Committee will subsequently deliberate and resolve whether to make the final investment, as well as the amount and timing of investment execution. KUIC will execute the investments in accordance with the resolutions of the Steering Committee.

The USD 150 billion shipbuilding cooperation investment will consist of private foreign direct investment (FDI) and ship financing support, including loans and guarantees. It will proceed through the following process: identification of public-private partnership projects; deliberation by the Project Management Committee; resolution by the Steering Committee on the financial support plan; consultations with the U.S. side and approval by the U.S. Investment Committee; resolution by the Steering Committee on loans, guarantees, and other support measures; and execution by policy finance institutions, including KUIC, the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank), the Korea Development Bank (KDB), the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE), and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC).

[Key Discussion Items]

The meeting began with a discussion on the progress made to date, the current status, and future plans for Korea-U.S. strategic investment. The members agreed on the need for close cooperation between the relevant government ministries and KUIC to swiftly establish a stable governance framework for Korea-U.S. strategic investment. They also shared the view that the collective expertise of government, industry, and academia should be brought together to ensure the effective implementation of Korea-U.S. strategic investment, which involves substantial financial resources.

The Committee also received a report on, and engaged in an in-depth discussion of, the current status of candidate investment projects in the U.S. under review by the Project Management Committee, chaired by the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Resources, as well as its future review plans. The members requested that the Project Management Committee conduct a thorough assessment of the commercial viability of the proposed projects while comprehensively examining their implications for the national interest from multiple perspectives. They also called for close consultations with the U.S side to ensure that Korean companies are able to participate to the greatest extent possible as project managers (PMs), vendors, and suppliers throughout the implementation of the projects.

Meanwhile, Korea Eximbank, KDB, K-SURE, and KOBC attended the meeting as financial institutions supporting shipbuilding cooperation investment. Together with KUIC, they presented a financial support plan for Korea-U.S shipbuilding cooperation investment.

Last but not least, the Committee discussed its future operational plans and reached a consensus on the need for the relevant ministries and KUIC to promptly commence preparatory work, including securing the necessary financial resources, to facilitate the smooth implementation of Korea-U.S. strategic investment.

[Assessment and Future Plans]

Deputy Prime Minister Koo remarked, “Just as an aircraft must face a headwind to take off, neither a nation nor its businesses can achieve new leaps in growth if they fear the challenges before them.” He added, “In that sense, Korea-U.S. strategic investment is an invitation to enter the vast U.S. market, a challenge to seize new opportunities, and a declaration of our resolve.”

He also noted, “The launch of the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Steering Committee marks the completion of the final piece of the Korea-U.S. strategic investment governance framework. Going forward, the Steering Committee will serve as the highest-level control tower overseeing the full scope of USD 200 billion in investment in the U.S. and USD 150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation investment.”

In particular, he emphasized, “Through Korea-U.S. strategic investment, the government will pursue investment based on the three T.O.P. principles so that Korea and the U.S. can further strengthen their partnership as the world’s leading economic and industrial alliance.” He explained that the T.O.P. principles stand for Together, Opening, and Productive: pursuing win-win investments that benefit both Korea and the U.S. (Together); turning these investments into a gateway to new opportunities for Korean companies (Opening); and delivering productive investments by making prudent and efficient use of every dollar of public resources entrusted by the Korean people (Productive).

He also stressed, “The government will also make every effort to maintain stability in the foreign exchange (FX) market throughout the implementation of Korea-U.S. strategic investment. We will strictly adhere to the annual investment ceiling of USD 20 billion and activate the safeguards provided under the MOU and relevant legislation, including adjusting the scale and timing of investments in consultation with the U.S., as necessary, in response to market conditions.

MOFE and KUIC will work to promptly establish the relevant governance framework, including the Steering Committee, while holding meetings as needed to share updates on Korea-U.S. strategic investment and discuss its future direction.

Please refer to the attached files.