Amcham concludes Washington Doorknock with 30 high-level meetings for Korea-U.S. alliance

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham) said Wednesday it has completed its annual Doorknock program, holding some 30 senior-level meetings with officials from the White House, the U.S. administration, Congress and major policy organizations aimed at reinforcing the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Executives from 11 companies traveled to Washington from July 13 to 16 for meetings with officials at the White House National Security Council, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Treasury Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, and exchanged views on a range of bilateral economic issues.

The delegation also met with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, including Senators Andy Kim, Rick Scott, Bill Hagerty and Maria Cantwell, and Representatives Young Kim, Ami Bera and Tom Suozzi. 

This year's Doorknock program introduced K-Doorknock, a new initiative to support Korean companies investing in or expanding operations in the United States. Korean firms including Hyundai Motor Group, LG and Dunamu took part, using the platform to discuss challenges they face in managing their U.S. operations.

"One message came through consistently across nearly every meeting we held: the priority now is not making new commitments but delivering tangible results from the investments and areas of cooperation already in place," said Amcham Chairman and CEO James Kim. "Continued dialogue between government and industry, greater market access, a predictable and transparent regulatory environment and the reduction of unnecessary nontariff barriers will all be essential to sustaining investment and strengthening the long-term competitiveness of the Korea-U.S. economic partnership."

BY SARAH CHEA   [[email protected]]