President Yoon Suk Yeol met with visiting U.S. Governor Larry Hogan and asked for his support to ensure equal treatment and benefits for South Korean businesses regarding the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act.  

The presidential office said that President Yoon met with Maryland Governor Hogan on Friday at his Yongsan office and discussed economic cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. state.

The president called for active support by the governor for South Korean companies in the U.S., expressing concerns about possible discrimination against South Korean firms due to the law that excludes South Korean-made electric vehicles from tax incentives. 

In response, Hogan promised to make every effort to ensure that the new law does not deal a blow to Korean companies, saying that South Korean businesses are greatly contributing to creating jobs and expanding the economy in the U.S. 

President Yoon expressed hope that South Korea and Maryland may strengthen ties in the high-tech industry, as the U.S. state has maintained focus on sectors such as biotech, medicine, ICT and aerospace. 

Hogan is affectionately called by many in South Korea as "Hangook sawi," or "son-in-law to the Korean people," as his wife, Yumi Hogan, is Korean-American.