U.S. welcomes S. Korea's passage of investment bill as 'positive' step: U.S. official

▲ The National Assembly holds a plenary session in Seoul on March 12, 2026, to vote on a special bill on South Korea's US$350 billion investment pledge to the United States. (Yonhap)

US official-investment bill

U.S. welcomes S. Korea's passage of investment bill as 'positive' step: U.S. official

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's administration welcomes the South Korean parliament's passage of a special bill on Seoul's pledge to invest US$350 billion in the United States as a "positive step," a U.S. official said Friday.

The official's remarks came after the National Assembly on Thursday (Seoul time) passed the bill facilitating the implementation of South Korea's investment commitment under a bilateral trade deal that the two governments struck last year.

"We welcome South Korea's passage of their investment pledge as a positive, even if delayed, step towards implementing our trade deal," the official said in response to an email question from Yonhap News Agency.

"The administration continues to monitor every country's compliance with our trade deals, and we look forward to Korea's full implementation of the other trade-related issues that were agreed to in our Joint Fact Sheet," the official added.

The official was referring to the joint document that Seoul and Washington released in November to outline bilateral trade and security agreements, including Washington's agreement to lower "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea in return for Seoul's investment pledge.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved