Kemp Meets With Korean President During Economic Mission

In a sign of Georgia’s growing prominence on the global stage, Gov. Brian Kemp was granted another presidential audience — this time with South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol.

Mr. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp met with Mr. Yoon in Seoul Tuesday, June 18, the seventh day of his trade mission to South Korea, a trip that has included check-ins with large investors like Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, CJ Foodville and SK On.

Hyundai, which is building a massive plant in Bryan County, toasted the state at a “Georgia Night” reception that anticipated the 40th anniversary of the state’s economic development office in the Korean capital in 2025.

During the trip, Hyundai also announced that its first Georgia-built EV would be the IONIQ 5. Production will begin before the end of this year. That news came about a week after the first Georgia-made Kia EV9 rolled off that company’s assembly line in West Point.

If the EV push wasn’t enough to scratch the alternative-energy itch for a governor focused on electric mobility, Mr. Kemp and other economic development leaders on the trip, including representatives of Georgia Power and the Georgia Ports Authority, took some time to learn from Hyundai about the potential for hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Hyundai is introducing hydrogen-powered trucks to move materials between sites at its Meta Plant, and the company launched a partnership with Georgia Tech to research the fuel’s potential.

An effort to garner federal funding to position Georgia as federally funding hydrogen research effort fell short.

In a readout of the presidential meeting, Mr. Kemp’s office framed the conversation in foreign-policy terms, noting that the men discussed the “flourishing partnership” between Korean and Georgia as well as “international security concerns.”

“At a time of global uncertainty, it is vitally important for American leaders to stand firmly with our allies in promoting freedom and liberty, and defending our shared values, “Mr. Kemp said, asserting that the Georgia-Korea relationship is “stronger than ever.”

In a LinkedIn post, Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson, echoed that sentiment but tied it more directly to the state’s growing business ties in the country.

“President Yoon’s commitment to strengthening ties with the United States, and specifically growing sub-national relations, aligns perfectly with our values of promoting free and fair enterprise and growing jobs and opportunities for our citizens. Additionally, this alliance not only drives economic growth and innovation but also reinforces stability in the Asia-Pacific region, a crucial pillar of global security.”

Mr. Wilson wrote that more than 120 Koreans employ more than 25,000 people in the state and said the number could double in the coming years.

Meeting world leaders has become a routine pastime for Mr. Kemp, who met both Israel’s president and prime minister when visiting that country in 2023 and the nation of Georgia’s prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili. At Davos, Mr. Kemp met with Jan Jambon, minister-president of the Belgian region of Flanders.

Most recently, Mr. Kemp met with the Dutch head of state just before jetting off to Korea. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima visited the state on an intensive two-day mission focused on fostering economic growth before heading to New York.