We also discussed ways to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with major US cities.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with the new US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg and asked for cooperation on the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 8th, Mayor Oh met Ambassador Goldberg at the Oval Office of City Hall on the same day and said, “Please play a role so that IRA-related issues can be resolved well.”
The IRA stipulates that only electric vehicles produced in North America should be subsidized, so Korean electric vehicles cannot receive subsidies.
As concerns emerged regarding the weakening of the competitiveness of the domestic automobile industry, the government is engaged in a diplomatic battle with the US to resolve discrimination in all directions.
Mayor Oh also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Seoul and major US cities in terms of the ROK-U.S. alliance and urban diplomacy.
Mayor Oh positively evaluated the situation in which the ROK-U.S. alliance has developed from a military and security alliance to a ‘comprehensive strategic alliance’ that encompasses the digital economy, 5G, electric vehicle and battery supply chains since the Korea-US summit in May.
“The city of Seoul will also actively cooperate to develop a strong alliance,” he said.
Mayor Oh also emphasized the role of the U.S. embassy as a bridge for exchange and cooperation between Seoul and major U.S. cities, noting that cooperation between cities is a very important point for response to quarantine and overcoming the economic crisis following COVID-19.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has continued exchange and cooperation with five cities in the United States (Honolulu, San Francisco, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Houston) by signing friendship and friendly city agreements.
/yunhap news
