Taylor High School hosted a press conference Sept. 11 for South Korean ambassadors visiting Williamson County, where leaders discussed the continued growth of Korean companies in the area.

What happened

County Judge Bill Gravell, City of Taylor Mayor Dwayne Ariola and Taylor ISD Superintendent Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen welcomed the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg and South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Hyundong Cho at the conference.

The arrival of Samsung and the semiconductor industry brought many changes to Taylor's community, Ariola said.

“It has been our privilege to welcome many new residents, business owners and visitors from the Republic of Korea,” Ariola said.




What parents should know

A Sister City Agreement was recently signed between Williamson County and Yongin City, creating a future student exchange, and in the next few days, Gravell said he will visit the South Korean city.

“There will be a day that we will be sending students from Taylor High School on an international exchange program to Yongin City in South Korea,” Gravell said. “And ... we will be welcoming young adults from South Korea that will be coming to America.”

Samsung’s internship program—soon entering its fourth year—also offers experiences for young people, Gravell said.




Goldberg said the semiconductor, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity industries need young people, and noted the ability to produce workers with nearby college campuses like The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University.

In May, UT announced a new campus in Taylor next to the Samsung Austin Semiconductor facility in an effort to bolster the area’s semiconductor supply chain, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Put in perspective

Gravell thanked President Joe Biden and Gov. Greg Abbott for their promotion of economic development, specifically the federal Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act that brought Samsung up to $6.4 billion in federal investments.




A dozen corporations tied to Korea have current or future presences in Williamson County Gravell said, including:In a few weeks, Goldberg will return to Korea where 60 meetings with prospective businesses are already scheduled for the trip, Gravell said.

Quote of note

This was Cho’s first visit to Williamson County as the Korean ambassador, he said.

“When it comes to the relations between Korea and this great state of Texas, our economic and trade and investment relations has never been brighter,” Cho said. “Texas has become the top destination of Korea’s investment in the United States.”