South Korean companies could help meet U.S. demand for battery storage and support efforts to rebuild shipbuilding capacity, Ambassador Michelle Park Steel said, describing both as areas for closer business cooperation.
Steel described investment as beneficial to both countries. Steel said LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI now make batteries in the United States after investing in production there. Demand for storage at U.S. data centers could create work for Korean suppliers, engineers and other businesses. Steel said the activity also supports U.S. industrial capacity and employment in both countries. Korean firms, she said, would gain closer connections to American customers and room to expand. She urged leaders to explain what projects are expected to deliver and make the gains for Korea clear.
Expanding U.S. shipyard capacity was the goal Steel described; she said Korean companies could contribute expertise and gain commercial work through collaboration. That path differs from batteries, where Korean firms have already invested and started production in the United States.
The U.S. Embassy posted the video Monday to mark Steel’s 100th day in the job. She also set out three priorities: alliance modernization, expanding economic opportunities and addressing regional challenges.
Steel credited the alliance with helping deter conflict and defend South Korea for more than seven decades. She said its partners also need to respond together to cyber threats and security risks associated with new technologies.
To explain the alliance’s relevance to younger South Koreans, Steel said the two countries can count on each other in critical moments. She described the relationship as important to protecting people and giving the next generation security to build their future.
Steel said leaders should honor their commitments, manage sensitive conversations responsibly and sustain trust between the partners. “None of these things can happen without trust and communication,” she said.
