Why South Korea Is Betting $6 Billion on a Small Midwestern City

An episode of Inside the Investment, a documentary series for the Korea Economic Institute of America examining how Korean capital is reshaping American communities.

Kokomo, Indiana has become a focal point of South Korean investment in the American Midwest, led by a $6 billion commitment from StarPlus Energy, a joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI, to build two EV battery plants. We spoke with local leaders and residents about how a former automotive powerhouse is reinventing itself for the electric future as firms like Samsung SDI, Soulbrain MI and Jaewon Industrial arrive in town.

I create the Inside the Investment mini-documentaries for KEI: traveling to South Korean investment sites across the U.S., shooting the interviews and on-site footage, writing the narration that carries the episode, and cutting picture and audio in post-production.