Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, who left for the United States after announcing his candidacy for the presidential election, has reached an agreement on four points with Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, to jointly respond to automotive parts tariffs. Kim is visiting the United States for "tariff diplomacy."
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 11th, Kim met with Governor Whitmer at the Lansing State Government Building in Michigan on the 10th (local time) and announced plans to establish a consultation body for co-prosperity in the automotive industry.
The Gyeonggi Province side explained that this consultation body is the first strategic alliance organization between local governments in South Korea and the United States in response to the Trump tariffs. Once operational, the body is expected to enable information sharing and real-time response to corporate challenges for the automotive corporations of both countries.
Kim and Governor Whitmer also agreed to establish a dialogue channel between South Korean parts corporations and the three major automotive manufacturers in Michigan (GM, Ford, Stellantis).
Kim stated, "The tariff imposed by President Trump is a self-destructive act against the global economy," and noted, "It is absolutely unsustainable for the U.S. economy due to the price increases and unemployment caused by tariffs," proposing four points for joint response to Governor Whitmer.
Meanwhile, before his meeting with Governor Whitmer, Kim discussed support measures with officials from eight domestic automotive parts corporations, including Hyundai Mobis and Nexen Tire, which have entered Michigan.
These corporations expressed their concerns, saying, "Yesterday and today are different, and the situation changes again overnight," and Kim promised, "When I meet with Governor Whitmer, I will convey and reflect as much as possible the difficulties faced by the businesspeople."