SEOUL -- South Korean companies are facing tougher pressures in China, from trouble with local joint ventures to the government's suspending of production at factories. Beijing is upset with Seoul for helping the U.S. deploy four more launchers in its missile defense system in South Korea, in addition to two launchers already operating in the southeastern rural village of Seongju.
A wide range of companies, from Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors to Lotte Shopping and AmorePacific Group, have seen their sales plunge sharply this year in China, one of their most important markets, hit by direct or indirect interventions by the Chinese authorities. President Moon Jae-in told his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump by phone Monday that he would complete the U.S. Forces Korea's temporary deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system as soon as possible.
