DeSantis South Korea trade trip focuses on 'green' energy

(The Center Square) – On the second leg of his four-country trade delegation trip, Governor Ron DeSantis entered into agreements with South Korean companies to promote "green energy" in Florida. 

While in South Korea, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a South Korean company to facilitate hydrogen technology in Florida, with the goal of installing carbon capture utilizations and direct air capture in space and aerospace industrial complexes in Central Florida. 

He next met with Hyundai Motor Group president Karl Kim and Kia Corporation president and CEO Hosung Song to discuss expanding their businesses in Florida, including possibilities for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL).

"We are proud of the connections we have made with Hyundai and Kia while visiting South Korea," the governor said in a statement. Referring to the Port of Jacksonville, he said, "Florida's JAXPORT is one of the top ports for receiving vehicles shipped from across the world because of our pro-business policies and strong infrastructure. We are proud to continue building relationships with the world's automakers to increase business in Florida."

"Hyundai was honored to meet with Governor DeSantis during his trip to South Korea and discuss the important role Florida plays in our U.S. businesses," Hyundai president Karl Kim said. "We understand Florida is open to emerging transportation technologies and we look forward to exploring opportunities to work with the state as we deliver our vision for the future of mobility."

Hyundai is currently testing eVTOL vehicles. Last year, Hyundai and Supernal unveiled their initial eVTOL vehicle cabin concept, with the plan of certifying an eVTOL vehicle for commercial use with a human pilot in the U.S. in 2028. 

The goal of EVTOL technology is for them to be autonomous without human pilots using "sense-and-avoid or detect-and-avoid technologies, to enable very dense operations in urban areas," Avionics International explains.

No federal rules exist for autonomous operations in civilian airspace.

"In order for Advanced Air Mobility to become a wide-spread mode of transportation, every detail – from the passenger experience to regulations and infrastructure – needs to be addressed from the start and work in lockstep with one another," Dr. Jaiwon Shin, EVP of Hyundai Motor Company leading its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Division and CEO of Supernal, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, said when announcing the concept. 

Florida is "poised to lead the nation in advanced air mobility and eVTOL," the governor's office said, because of its "mild weather" outside of hurricane season, the state's "robust aviation infrastructure network," and an already large number of eVTOP operators and manufacturers operating in Florida.

Annually, merchandise trade between Florida and South Korea exceeds $1.3 billion with South Korea as Florida's seventh-largest bilateral trade partner in Asia. Last year, South Korea imported over $341.6 million from Florida; Florida imported over $951 million in goods from South Korea.

South Korean affiliates operating in Florida have an estimated total holdings of over $107 million, including companies like Hyundai Motor Group and Korean Airlines.

After meeting with South Korean leaders, the Florida trade delegation left for Israel, where DeSantis next met with Israeli leaders and gave remarks at an event celebrating Israel's 75th anniversary. The last and final stop on the four-country trip is the U.K.