'I believe in fair trade': Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says Trump's tariffs bad for ties with Korea

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'I believe in fair trade': Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says Trump's tariffs bad for ties with Korea

Published: 22 Apr. 2025, 07:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in central Seoul on April 16. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is no fan of the tariff rollouts by the Donald Trump administration.

“I believe in fair trade,” the 46-year-old governor told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, in an exclusive interview on March 16. “I believe in collaboration and expansive growth.”

Ahead of the interview, Moore met with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is serving as acting president in Seoul. He said the pair spoke about the “shared aspirations” between Maryland and Korea in “creating more economic growth that can both benefit the people of the state of Maryland and also benefit the people of Korea.”

“We spoke for about an hour, and it was a good, transparent and honest conversation,” Moore said, adding that they also discussed foreign policy.

“We spoke a lot about the importance of the continued commitment that the U.S. has to the safety and security and the prosperity of Korea, especially when you consider its neighbors,” Moore continued. “And I could not agree with him more on that.”

Even among all 50 U.S. states, Maryland is a hub for advanced industries including quantum technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and space. During his visit to Korea from last Tuesday to Friday, Gov. Moore and a Maryland trade delegation were meeting with major Korean conglomerate officials such as Samsung and SK to explore avenues for cooperation.

Moore is Maryland’s first Black governor and only the third in all of U.S. history. A graduate of Valley Forge Military Academy and College, he later received a B.A. in international relations and economics at Johns Hopkins University and an M.A. at the Wolfson College, Oxford. In 2005, he was deployed to Afghanistan and served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He attained the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 2006, Moore was selected as a White House Fellow during the George W. Bush administration and later worked in the financial sector. He has also built a career as an author, social entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Perhaps mindful of the nickname given to his predecessor, Larry Hogan — “Korea’s son-in-law” due to his ties with the country through his Korean-born wife — Moore laughed as he asked to be called chamilkkun, a Korean phrase meaning “a true hard worker.” The governor is widely regarded as a rising star in the Democratic Party.

The following is an edited excerpt from the interview.

Acting President Han Duck-soo holds a breakfast meeting with Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, at the Four Seasons Seoul hotel on April 16. [PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE]

Q. What brings you to Korea? Could you share more details about your visit?

A. Korea is Maryland’s seventh-largest trading partner. The annual trade volume between the two sides has already exceeded $1.5 billion. Korea plays a key role in sectors such as biotechnology, quantum technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense. We also have many Korean companies that are already doing work within the state of Maryland. So, I knew that for our first trip to Asia, we were going to start with Korea.

How was your meeting with acting President Han in the morning?

We spoke for about an hour. It was a good and transparent and honest conversation. We spoke a lot about the shared aspirations that we have about continuing to grow Maryland's industry and creating more economic growth that can both benefit the people of the state of Maryland and also benefit the people of Korea. He knew that my background was in foreign policy and in the military — and so we spoke a lot about the neighborhood that Korea finds itself in and the importance of the continued commitment that the United States has to the safety and security and the prosperity of South Korea. I could not agree with him more on that.

What is your view on the recent tariff policies introduced by the Trump administration?

I disagree with the usage of tariffs and the way they're being used by the current administration. I believe in fair trade. I believe in collaboration and expansive growth. And I believe that friendship matters. The relationship between Maryland and Korea is one that's based on transparency and consistency. It’s the reason we've been able to grow our trading relationship with Korea — and we plan to continue.

Acting President Han Duck-soo, left, meets with Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, at the Four Seasons Seoul hotel on April 16. [PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE]

As the governor of Maryland, do you have any plans or solutions corresponding to this current situation?

I think the response that we have is to show there's a different way — such as the fact that we are here right now, that we're showing up, that we're building relationships and sustaining relationships. We're aggressive about wanting to do more work and business, and giving Korean companies a greater chance of exposure to the U.S. market, and giving Maryland companies a greater chance of exposure to Korean markets. We’re showing there's a different way simply by showing up — and showing there's a different way to treat your friends.

Are there any ongoing investment partnerships with Korean companies?

One of our companies that we're very proud of, IonQ — the only public quantum company on the globe — earlier today (April 16) signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with a Korean company. We’re also meeting with SK Telecom, with whom we signed an MOU in February. We'll also be meeting with Samsung. We're already starting to see how those kinds of partnerships continue to build out and grow in very exciting ways.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HAN JEE-HYE [[email protected]]