| Korea's Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, left, stands next to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ahead of their bilateral talks in Washington D.C., Thursday. Yonhap |
By Anna J. Park
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki joined a recent series of government actions to voice concerns about the U.S. government's move to pressure Samsung Electronics to provide sensitive information about its supply chain.
During a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Janet Yellen on Thursday, local time, in Washington D.C., Hong officially conveyed the concerns voiced by Korean conglomerates about the U.S. government's request to submit internal information on supply chains.
"While concerted worldwide efforts are needed to solve the disrupted global supply chain, the Korean government highly values the U.S. move to proactively solve the issue," Hong said, as he relayed the concerns of Korean companies about the recent request by the U.S. for information.
"I hope the two countries could continue close consultations through a cooperative bilateral channel established in May, following the summit talks between the two countries," the minister suggested to Yellen, as an alternative to a survey the U.S. government sent to global chip makers, including Samsung.
Last month, the U.S. government requested global semiconductor companies, including Samsung Electronics, to submit their internal inventory information, orders as well as sales networks, within 45 days. But global chip manufacturers are concerned about the possible leak of sensitive information.
Minister Hong's move is in line with a string of similar actions by senior government officials who recently expressed concern over the U.S. government's demand.
Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo also relayed the conglomerate's concerns during bilateral talks with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, earlier this month.
"There is an ongoing concern over the request, as the scope of the requested information by the U.S. is huge and it includes some trade secrets," Minister Yeo said during the meeting.
The two met on the sidelines of a meeting by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The Foreign Ministry also said earlier this month that it delivered the Korean government's concerns over the matter to the U.S., according to the ministry's spokesperson.