Opinion: Tesla and South Korea might not be the dream pairing it seems

On the flipside, there are reasons Musk might struggle in South Korea. There’s the obvious geopolitical risk stemming from North Korea’s nuclear activities. — AP

Elon Musk surprised South Korea and Tesla watchers alike when he popped up last week on a video call with President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon’s office released details of the chat, revealing Musk had said he considered the nation a top choice for investment. Shares of battery-related companies like Samsung SDI and Posco jumped, even though Musk didn’t clearly say he actually wants to build a factory in the country.

Yoon, battling poor public opinion polls, was keen to make the pitch for why the world’s richest man may want to consider South Korea, citing the country’s high-quality engineers and auto components makers, and stable supply of electricity. Analysts also were upbeat.