South Korea PM, Harris discuss Special Act on U.S. investment at White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Thursday afternoon local time.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Kim explained that the National Assembly’s passage of a Special Act on U.S. investment would demonstrate Korea’s commitment to implementing the bilateral investment agreement. Harris was reported to have welcomed the establishment of the legal conditions needed to carry out the investment agreement.

The PMO also noted that they shared progress on issues Kim discussed at their January meeting, including Coupang and other religious matters, which the office described as being managed steadily.

Analysts and observers in the United States have tied such exchanges to broader U.S.-Korea economic ties, highlighting potential implications for cross-border investment, supply chains, and technology cooperation in sectors such as e-commerce, semiconductors, and digital services.

Coupang, one of Korea’s largest e-commerce platforms, has been a recurring topic in Washington-Korea discussions during a January meeting, underscoring how Korea’s tech and consumer markets intersect with American investment and regulatory concerns. The January talks also touched on religious issues, which the PMO said are now being handled stably.

The visit signals ongoing U.S.-Korea coordination on economic policy and governance, with officials in both capitals emphasizing a shared interest in predictable legal frameworks to support investment and trade.