Anthony Kim, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative U.S. think tank, said Korean startups seeking to enter the American market must understand the political mood in Washington. Kim, an expert on the international economy and Korea-U.S. relations, said companies need to build networks and push through policy uncertainty, as the second Donald Trump administration is running more systematically than the first while chaos has intensified
Kim spoke on the 28th at Korea Conference 2026 in Los Angeles, telling startups looking to expand into the United States that “it is important to read the mood in Washington.” Based at the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., he has studied trade, the international economy and politics for nearly 30 years.
“Because I research the partnership, the economy and security between Korea and the U.S., it is related to what you do,” Kim said. “The key point is that it is important to grasp the mood in Washington.” He added: “If you want to do business in the United States, you have to know which way the wind is blowing in Washington. You have to know whether it is spring, summer, fall or winter right now.”
Kim described the second Trump administration’s approach as “organized chaos.” “Trump’s second term is far more organized than his first, but you could say it is very chaotic,” he said. “I hope business people navigate the geoeconomic horizon well, but frankly speaking, the organized chaos is becoming more chaotic.” He added that “you should keep in mind that we will see much more of this over the remaining two years of President Trump’s term, including the midterm elections.”
Kim, who noted he has had extensive exchanges with Republican administrations, said building networks matters more than ever in navigating the current turmoil. “Washington is not that simple. In the Trump administration in particular, there are multiple layers of gatekeepers. Trump is the most entrepreneurial builder and a connector,” he said. “It is very important to connect your ideas with institutions through conferences and networking.”
Korea Conference is a nonprofit organization founded by Jenny Joo, who spent 28 years at major Wall Street financial institutions including Morgan Stanley, UBS and JPMorgan, and it helps Korean startups entering the United States build networks. On the same day, Asleep said it would introduce an artificial intelligence sleep solution at a Bali hotel with Indonesia’s Lippo Group with help from Korea Conference. “Korea Conference members are producing results,” Joo said. “Our goal is to create a system where our startups can build trust and generate their own momentum, like the PayPal alumni.”
#KoreaConference2026#HeritageFoundation#KoreanStartups#TrumpAdministration#USMarketEntry#Washington
Original reporting by Kim Chang-young for Seoul Economic Daily.
AI-translated from Korean. Quotes from foreign sources are based on Korean-language reports and may not reflect exact original wording.
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