Former US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy engaged in a breakfast meeting with South Korean business leaders in Seoul on Thursday, organized by the Federation of Korean Industries. The meeting aimed to facilitate discussions on economic and trade matters between the two countries ahead of the upcoming US presidential election. Approximately 20 Korean business representatives, including those from Hyundai Motor Co., SK Group, LG Group, and Hanwha Group, participated in the event. Topics of conversation included strategies to strengthen bilateral economic relations and perspectives on Korea's investments and exports to the US, as reported by the FKI. Representative McCarthy has been a proponent of South Korea and played a role in the negotiation of the Korea-US free trade agreement in the early 2010s. He previously supported former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election and currently holds a prominent position in Trump's 2024 campaign. With the potential for McCarthy to become Trump's chief of staff if he secures the election, the meeting underscored the critical necessity for substantial dialogue between the Korean business community and influential figures in the US ahead of the presidential election, emphasized FKI Chairman Ryu Jin. He highlighted the US as Korea's principal investor and export market, emphasizing the significant contribution of Korea's direct investment to job creation in the US.