Companies race to build key connections with the Trump administration

As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump accelerates the implementation of his ‘America First’ economic policies ahead of his inauguration on January 20, companies both at home and abroad are racing to adapt.

According to political circles and business circles in the United States and South Korea, the Washington offices of domestic and foreign companies have recently been filled with a sense of urgency, resembling a “war room.” These companies are actively hiring personnel and preparing various strategies to communicate closely with the incoming Trump administration. In particular, Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, which have been actively strengthening their government affairs channels with Washington, along with SK Group and POSCO Group, have significantly bolstered their government affairs personnel and organizations. This trend is expected to extend to other conglomerates as well.

SK Group recently appointed Paul DeLaney, a former international trade counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance and deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), as vice president of SK Americas, an integrated external affairs entity established in the U.S. earlier this year. Mr. DeLaney brings more than 20 years of experience advising the U.S. business community on international trade and investment, supply chain management, and regulatory strategies. He will oversee SK Group's government affairs operations in North America.

POSCO Group has also recently signed a contract with American Global Strategies (AGS), a Washington-based strategic advisory firm, to prepare for the second Trump administration. AGS is a political and strategic consulting firm founded by former U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, one of Trump's key aides during his first term, and former White House National Security Council (NSC) Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff Alexander Gray. Allison Hooker, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asia during Trump’s first administration, is also a senior vice president at AGS. “It is urgent to establish relevant connections with the incoming Trump administration and build a lineup to engage with them,” said a related official in the business circle. “The goal is to identify policy trends and prepare business plans in advance.”


Woo-Sun Lim imsun@donga.com