Industry ministry denies reporting US investment returns to parliament
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy clarified that it never submitted internal rate of return calculations for strategic US investments to the National Assembly.
The industry ministry said it did not report expected returns on strategic investments to the United States to the National Assembly in February, contradicting recent media claims.
A report published by the Hankyoreh claimed the ministry informed parliament that projects would require an annual internal rate of return (IRR) of 16.68 percent to repay principal and interest over 20 years, assuming a 5 percent interest rate. The article alleged this figure was part of an operational plan for the strategic investment memorandum of understanding (MOU) submitted ahead of the bill's processing.
The ministry stated it made no such report regarding the MOU's operational plans to the legislature. "Commercial rationality for these strategic investments is judged by whether principal and interest can be recovered within the project lifespan based on agreed interest rates, not by internal rate of return metrics," the ministry said in a statement. It added that IRR figures can fluctuate based on cash flow structures even when commercial viability is secured.
What this article is based on
Every fact in this article can be checked against the primary documents below.
- Government산업통상자원부 산업 보도자료· Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy· accessed Sept. 20, 2026
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