A Korean detour? How China's auto investments may be aimed at the U.S. market. Chery and Geely investments in Korean carmakers raise concerns that local plants could become export bases for Chinese brands seeking to navigate U.S. trade barriers. KG Mobility's plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi.YONHAP [NEWS ANALYSIS] Chery Automobile's latest investment in KG Mobility is framed as a partnership to jointly pursue global exports. But Korea's access to the United States — where Chinese brands face punitive duties and connected-vehicle restrictions — makes the country an unusually valuable manufacturing base for a Chinese carmaker, a factor that some experts say is a driving force behind Chinese investments in Korean automakers. Chery isn't the only Chinese automaker to make such a move — Geely Automobile Holdings acquired a 34.02 percent stake in Renault Korea in 2022, becoming its largest shareholder, and has since directed the company's Busan plant to produce Polestar EVs for export to North America. Some experts warn that Chinese capital and technology are becoming further entangled with Korean automakers and Korea's auto industry risks devolving into little more than a subcontracted export base. Chery didn’t directly call its investment in KG Mobility an attempt to enter the U.S. market, but Zhang Guibing, president of Chery International, cited tariffs and pinpointed exports as the partnership's core objective. "Chery's stage is the global market, and tariff treatment diverges between China and Korea in certain regions," Yin said, adding that this is one of “KG Mobility's most consequential assets.” "Every company in the world is eyeing the U.S. market. Meeting its regulatory requirements is essential to gaining entry,” he added. KG Mobility recently inked an agreement with Chery Automobile to receive $75 million from the Anhui-based automaker in the form of convertible bonds. If Chery converts the bonds in full, it