SEOUL, South Korea: During this week's summit between President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, South Korea unveiled a sweeping set of U.S. investment commitments, highlighting projects in shipbuilding, aerospace, energy, nuclear power, and critical minerals.

At the heart of the announcements was a pledge by South Korean companies to invest US$150 billion in the U.S. The country's top business lobby said the money would go into fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, and nuclear energy. While no specific timetable was given, the total would amount to about six times South Korea's U.S. foreign direct investment in 2024.

Adviser Kim Yong-beom noted the package includes previously announced projects like Samsung's new Texas chip plant, Hyundai's Georgia auto factory, and Hanwha's shipyard expansion.

A centerpiece came from Korean Air, which confirmed a record $36.2 billion order for 103 Boeing aircraft and a $13.7 billion deal with GE Aerospace for engines and maintenance, its largest-ever single contract.

Hyundai Motor Group also boosted its U.S. investment plan, raising its commitment to $26 billion between 2025 and 2028, up from $21 billion. The group intends to build a steel mill in Louisiana, expand U.S. auto production, and launch a robotics hub capable of producing 30,000 units annually.

Shipbuilding was another focus. Trump said the U.S. would partner with South Korea to revive American maritime manufacturing. HD Hyundai, Korea Development Bank, and U.S. investment firm Cerberus Capital signed an MOU to create a multibillion-dollar joint fund aimed at strengthening U.S. shipbuilding. Samsung Heavy Industries and Vigor Marine Group separately agreed to collaborate on U.S. Navy shipyard modernization, maintenance, and new vessel construction.

On energy, state-run Korea Gas Corp signed long-term agreements with Trafigura and others to import 3.3 million tonnes of U.S. LNG annually for about 10 years starting in 2028, mainly from Cheniere.

In nuclear power, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Doosan Enerbility announced joint efforts with U.S. firms X-energy and Amazon Web Services on small modular reactor projects. Doosan also partnered with Fermi America to supply SMR equipment for a Texas AI facility, while KHNP and Samsung C&T signed an MOU with Fermi for construction. KHNP also struck a joint investment deal with Centrus for a U.S. uranium enrichment plant.

For critical minerals, Korea Zinc agreed to supply Lockheed Martin with germanium from 2028 and expand its cooperation in rare metals.

Beyond individual deals, Seoul and Washington signed a non-binding agreement to structure a $350 billion investment fund first proposed in July. Kim said the fund would support sectors like batteries, chips, pharmaceuticals, AI, and quantum computing.