Gyeonggi Province Governor Reaches Out to U.S. Governors Over ‘Sensitive Country’ Designation

On March 22, 2025, Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim took diplomatic action through official letters, addressing concerns over South ...

On March 22, 2025, Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim took diplomatic action through official letters, addressing concerns over South Korea’s designation as a ‘Sensitive Country’ by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Governor Kim sent letters to the governors of 10 U.S. states that have maintained strong ties with Gyeonggi Province: Utah, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Michigan, California, Arizona, Washington, New York, and Arkansas. In addition, letters were also sent to the Mayor of San Diego and Gary Cohn, Vice Chairman of IBM and former Director of the U.S. National Economic Council.

In his letter, Governor Kim acknowledged the Republic of Korea’s inclusion on the U.S. Department of Energy’s sensitive country list but reassured recipients that both governments are engaged in close discussions. He emphasized that these new restrictions should not affect the strong economic and technological partnerships between Gyeonggi Province and its U.S. counterparts.

He also expressed his hope that this designation would not negatively impact regional cooperation and reaffirmed Gyeonggi Province’s commitment to strengthening economic and technological collaboration. “We believe this issue will be resolved quickly, and we appreciate your attention to this matter,” he added.

As the economic and industrial center of the Republic of Korea, Gyeonggi Province plays a crucial role in global industries such as semiconductors, biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing. Governor Kim stressed that economic and technological partnerships between Gyeonggi Province and the U.S. are built on mutual trust and shared benefits, and he remains confident that these ties will continue to grow.

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Gyeonggi Province’s Efforts to Strengthen Global Trust

Governor Kim has been actively demonstrating crisis leadership amid global uncertainties. 

In December 2024, following the aborted martial law declaration, he sent urgent letters to key global figures, reassuring them of the republic of Korea’s stability and economic resilience. He also met with the U.S. Ambassador to Korea and leaders of economic organizations to reaffirm U.S.-Korea economic cooperation and foreign investor confidence.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos this past January, he delivered the message “Trust in Korea!” to global leaders, emphasizing South Korea’s economic reliability.

Going forward, Gyeonggi Province plans to continue fostering international trust and economic cooperation through meetings with U.S. ambassadors, foreign chambers of commerce, and global business leaders. 

With proactive diplomacy and strategic engagement, Governor Kim is working to ensure that Gyeonggi Province remains a key player in global economic partnerships.

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