![Kim Kyung-han, former head of the strategic investment division at the Korea-US Strategic Investment Corp. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/26/news-p.v1.20260826.fb6f376798544cfdb7600b6b28a118a8_P1.jpg)
The inaugural head of the strategic investment division at the Korea-US Strategic Investment Corp. — the body overseeing $350 billion in planned US investment — has resigned just over two months after taking office, amid mounting pressure from Washington to deliver on investment commitments.
The departure of the corporation's key investment officer comes as the government prepares to announce its first US-bound investment project as early as next month, drawing attention to the circumstances behind his exit.
According to the Korea-US Strategic Investment Corp., Kim Kyung-han, who was appointed head of the strategic investment division on June 18, recently stepped down.
Kim, who passed the civil service exam in the 38th cohort, briefly worked at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy before moving to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There he built a career in international economics and trade, serving as a counselor at the ministry's international economy bureau and as a counselor at South Korean missions in Vietnam, Brazil, Chicago and India.
He later joined Posco, where he served as vice president for global trade policy at Posco Holdings, vice president of the communications division, and head of the trade and commerce office. After the Korea-US Strategic Investment Corp. was established, he was appointed head of the strategic investment division as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' designated representative.
The strategic investment division head effectively serves as the corporation's chief investment officer. The role involves identifying investment opportunities in the United States across strategic industries — including batteries, nuclear power, shipbuilding, defense, AI infrastructure and critical minerals — negotiating with American partners, and designing participation structures for South Korean companies. It is a pivotal position that requires identifying and structuring Korea-US strategic investment projects while simultaneously meeting government policy goals and financial viability standards.
The other key leadership post at the corporation, head of the management planning division, has been filled by Kang Jong-seok, former deputy head of the economic security supply chain planning team at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as the ministry's designated representative. The management planning division head oversees the corporation's overall management and planning operations.
As the corporation undergoes a key personnel change, the government plans to finalize its first US-bound investment project next month. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has set a target of announcing the first project around mid-September. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan met with reporters on Thursday and said there was mutual understanding between the two countries to aim for a September announcement "taking into account the realistic processes and procedures required," adding that video conferences with the US side would continue the following week.
Under the special act governing the operation and management of strategic investment between South Korea and the United States, proposed investment projects must first be vetted for commercial viability by the Korea-US Strategic Investment Project Management Committee under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The projects are then reviewed by the operating committee under the Korea-US Strategic Investment Corp., and must finally be formally reported to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly before an investment can be confirmed.
A government official suggested there may have been differences of opinion between Park Jong-won, the corporation's president and a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy alumnus from the 40th civil service cohort, and the former division head, who spent most of his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was from the 38th cohort. "Given that the corporation is structured to reflect the interests of multiple ministries — including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy and Finance — coordination over investment direction and priorities will be crucial," the official said.
oskymoon@heraldcorp.com
