Lee Says Firms Are Hesitant to Invest in U.S.

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1. Cho Hyun, South Korean Foreign Minister

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   "I am coming to terms with the fact that the U.S. of the past, which engaged in really good cooperation with allies and friendly nations, is not the U.S. of today," said South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

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   Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 300 Korean workers at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

3. Youngshik Bong, visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies

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   "The majority of politicians in Korea have become emboldened, or empowered, vis-à-vis the United States," said Youngshik Bong, a visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies.

4. Youngshik Bong, visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies

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   "But that, of course, does not necessarily mean political elites are in denial of the United States as South Korea’s partner in many realms," said Youngshik Bong, a visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies.

5. Youngshik Bong, visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies

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   "Cho Hyun’s remark shows how much South Korean officials are perplexed by the United States under the Trump administration," said Youngshik Bong, a visiting professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies.

6. Inwook Kim, associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy

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   "It was surprising when Moon Jae-in mentioned it a decade ago, but Lee Jae-myung or other officials questioning the reliability of the United States’ commitment is not particularly surprising," said Inwook Kim, an associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy.

7. Inwook Kim, associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy

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   "It’s not just Korea who is questioning how and to what extent U.S. foreign policy is changing under the Trump administration," said Inwook Kim, an associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy.

8. Inwook Kim, associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy

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   "The entire world is doing this, right?" said Inwook Kim, an associate professor at Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy.

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   South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that Korean firms would be "very hesitant" to invest in the U.S. following the ICE raid at the Hyundai plant in Georgia.

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    Protesters staged a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on September 9, 2025, against the detention of South Korean workers during an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

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    Signs at the September 9, 2025, rally in Seoul read "A tariff bomb and workers confinement."

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    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has called for South Korea to "move toward a strong, self-reliant defense."

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    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ignored U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands for South Korea’s navy to assist in the Persian Gulf during the Iran war.

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    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has criticized the conduct of Israel.

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    South Korea voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as a full member state at the United Nations.

16. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "Those things are a really big change," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

17. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "We used to follow whatever the United States’ decision is – we would basically give up our vote," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

18. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "But recently, we decided to go against the U.S. or, rather, make our voice heard," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

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    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung visited Yeonpyeong Island on June 24, 2026.

20. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "South Korea has undergone a lot of growth in the last 10 years, in terms of economic strength and culture," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

21. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "We are more confident now," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

22. Eunbee Kim, associate professor at the Korean National Defense University

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    "We should not understand it as a move away from the United States, but people are aware of the risk of depending too much on one partner," said Eunbee Kim, an associate professor at the Korean National Defense University in Seoul.

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    U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met for 90 minutes at the Group of Seven banquet in France.

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    U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung discussed peace on the Korean Peninsula and U.S.-Korea relations.