Lee chairs business roundtable with Chey, Koo in Mexico

President Lee Jae Myung co-chaired a business roundtable with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace in Mexico City on Thursday (local time), during his state visit to Mexico, as the two leaders discussed ways to expand economic cooperation.

Nine Korean business leaders attended the session, including Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun.

Lee said the two countries are indispensable strategic partners for each other.

He said that with global economic uncertainty deepening and supply chains shifting rapidly, now is the right time to take bilateral economic cooperation to the next level.

Lee also said South Korea would stand as a partner in supporting the success of Plan Mexico, the industrial competitiveness and infrastructure expansion vision President Sheinbaum announced last year.

Korean executives at the meeting also raised difficulties they have encountered in their business operations in Mexico.

They said the ongoing review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is increasing uncertainty for companies operating in Mexico, and asked the Mexican government to focus on ensuring a stable operating environment.

The executives said Mexico's role as a gateway to North American and Latin American markets makes a stable business environment in the country all the more important.

They also said they hoped an economic agreement between South Korea and Mexico would be concluded as soon as possible, so that bilateral economic cooperation could be backed by an institutional framework.

The Korean executives said bilateral economic cooperation is expanding beyond traditional sectors such as automobiles and home appliances into areas including power and energy, mobility, advanced materials, food and beauty.

They also expressed support for Plan Mexico, saying the Mexican government's initiative could generate synergies with the growing economic ties between the two countries, and pledged active participation.