Nuevo León captured US$3.2024 billion in direct investment from South Korea between 2024 and the first half of 2026, or 47.1% of the Korean investment Mexico received in that period, according to figures reported by Milenio from Mexico’s Economy Secretariat.
The figure puts the state at the center of a relationship that is being reviewed at the presidential level this week. For Monterrey operators, the practical signal is the depth of the existing base: Korean automotive, electronics and technology companies are already using Nuevo León as a North American production platform.
281 companies across Pesquería, Apodaca and Monterrey
Milenio reported 281 Korean companies in Nuevo León as of April 2026, with around 5,000 South Korean residents in the metropolitan area as of June. The communities are concentrated mainly in Pesquería, Apodaca and Monterrey, close to the industrial sites and supplier networks that support the state’s automotive cluster.
The companies named in the report include Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai WIA, NIFCO and DH Autoware. The sectors in view are not limited to vehicle assembly: the coverage also points to parts, electronic components, electrification and automotive technology.
Kia’s Nuevo León plant is part of the bilateral agenda
El Universal’s account of President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit described Kia’s recent Nuevo León investment as an example of the industrial relationship Mexico and South Korea want to deepen. Infobae reported that the presidential meeting covers trade, investment, artificial intelligence, digital development and aerospace cooperation.
The next useful read-through is specific rather than rhetorical: whether the bilateral agenda produces additional commitments for the companies and supplier corridors already operating in Nuevo León. The current data shows that the platform is established; it does not, by itself, confirm a new state-level project.
- US$3.2024 billion: South Korean direct investment captured by Nuevo León from 2024 through the first half of 2026.
- 47.1%: Nuevo León’s share of South Korean direct investment into Mexico in that period.
- 281: Korean companies reported in Nuevo León as of April 2026.
- Around 5,000: South Korean residents reported in the metropolitan area as of June 2026.
- Core sectors: automotive, autoparts, electronics, electrification and automotive technology.