South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met representatives of Korean companies operating in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee during his visit to Atlanta for the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, pledging stronger government backing for their investments in the United States. The meeting, held on Thursday, 30 October 2026, brought together business leaders from the three states covered by the Korean Consulate General in Atlanta, according to a statement from Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Key Commitments to Korean Businesses

Minister Cho emphasised that Korean entrepreneurs were the most critical drivers of the government's diplomatic vision of an 'irreplaceable Republic of Korea.' He assured those present that the Ministry and its diplomatic missions abroad would continue strengthening support for business operations.

Company representatives, in turn, expressed gratitude for government efforts in protecting Korean nationals overseas. They raised several priorities: stable travel access to the United States, a clear governmental response to US tariff policies — particularly steel tariffs — closer ties with state governments and the US Congress, and improved communication channels with Korean diplomatic missions.

Government's Response to Investor Concerns

Cho pledged that Seoul would continue facilitating smooth US visits for Korean investors and would leverage its network of missions to cultivate relations not only with the federal government but also with individual state administrations and Congress. He urged company representatives to maintain regular contact with missions whenever difficulties arose, underscoring a hands-on diplomatic support model.

Cho-Nasir Bilateral on the Same Day

On the sidelines of the same G20 gathering, Minister Cho also held his first bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, who assumed office on 1 October 2026. The two ministers reviewed the elevation of South Korea-Indonesia ties to a 'special comprehensive strategic partnership' — a milestone reached during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's State visit to South Korea in April. According to the Ministry statement, discussions covered expanding cooperation in defence and the defence industry, trade and investment, energy, and advanced technology.

Cho also requested continued Indonesian government support for Korean companies operating in Indonesia. The two sides exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula situation and broader regional dynamics, and discussed coordinating positions within ASEAN and other multilateral forums.

Trilateral Arctic Pacific Partnership Ahead

Separately, Cho is scheduled to join US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for the signing of a trilateral 'Arctic Pacific Partnership' memorandum of cooperation — a development that signals a deepening of the US-Japan-South Korea strategic alignment in emerging geopolitical theatres. This comes amid broader efforts by Washington and its allies to expand cooperative frameworks beyond traditional security domains into Arctic resource governance and Pacific connectivity.