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Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 29, 2025 (Pool photo via Yonhap)


The South Korean government will reassure Washington of its commitment to their tariff agreement and take a calm, measured approach in response to US President Donald Trump's recently announced tariff hikes, Cheong Wa Dae said Tue 쿨사이다릴게임 sday.
Presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom and national security adviser Wi Sung-lac co-chaired a meeting on US trade issues Tuesday morning to examine the current situation 골드몽게임 and discuss the course of action.
The meeting came hours after Trump said he would increase tariffs on South Korean automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals ? as well as other "reciprocal" ta 릴게임사이트추천 riffs ? from 15 percent to 25 percent in a Truth Social post on Monday.
Earlier in the day, less than an hour after Trump's surprise notice, Cheong Wa Dae said "the US government has not iss 손오공릴게임예시 ued any official notification or provided details regarding the measure as of now."
"Given that tariff increases require administrative steps, including publication in the Federal Register, 릴게임황금성 to take effect, our government plans to convey to the United States its commitment to implementing the tariff agreement while responding in a calm and measured manner," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written statement.
South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan, who is currently in Canada, will visit the US "as soon as he wraps up his schedule in Canada to discuss the matter with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick," according to Kang.
Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo is also set to travel to the US in the near future to hold talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The meeting, which overlapped with a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, was attended by vice ministers from relevant ministries, including Yeo, First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il and Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina.
Senior presidential aides were also present, including Ha Joon-kyung, senior presidential secretary for economic growth, Oh Hyun-joo, third deputy director of the National Security Office, and Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for artificial intelligence policy and future planning.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and Trade, Industry and Resources Minister Kim, who are also in Canada as part of a special delegation for strategic economic cooperation, participated by phone.



US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jan. 19. (AFP)



Trump's claims, allies' agreement

During Tuesday's meeting, the participants reviewed progress on the Special Act on Managing Korea-US Strategic Investments, a bill which is being advanced as a follow-up measure to tariff negotiations between the US and Korea, Kang explained.
In his Truth Social post on Monday, Trump claimed the increase was "Because the Korean Legislature hasn't enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative."
"President Lee and I reached a Great Deal for both Countries on July 30, 2025, and we reaffirmed these terms while I was in Korea on October 29, 2025. Why hasn't the Korean Legislature approved it?" Trump had posed earlier in the same message.
Though Trump did not name the legislation, he appeared to be referring to the Special Act on Managing Korea-US Strategic Investments, introduced by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Nov. 26, 2025.
Following standard legislative procedure, the bill was placed in a deliberation period after it was referred to the Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee the following day.
Under the Nov. 14 memorandum of understanding on strategic investment, however, the allies agreed that tariff reductions would apply retroactively from the first day of the month in which the bill was submitted to the National Assembly ? not from the date of its passage.
The memorandum was released alongside a joint fact sheet outlining a broader package on security and trade following the leaders' Oct. 29 summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Under the fact sheet, South Korea pledged $350 billion in US-bound investment, while Washington agreed to lower tariffs on South Korean automobiles.
On Dec. 4, the United States retroactively lowered tariffs on South Korean automobiles to 15 percent after the relevant measure was published in the Federal Register.
On the "reciprocal" tariffs, Seoul and Washington agreed during trade negotiations on July 30 to cut the rate from 25 percent to 15 percent, and Trump signed that executive order on Aug. 7, formally bringing the reduced rate into effect.



South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo (left) and Industry Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak head to the chair’s office at the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump announced plans to raise tariffs, citing the South Korean legislature’s failure to complete legal procedures. (Yonhap)



Seoul denies digital regulation-tariff link

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday that it saw "no direct connection" between Trump's announcement of a tariff hike and a recent letter sent by the US Embassy in Seoul to the South Korean government.
Trump's tariff escalation came after James Heller, charge d'affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, sent a Jan. 13 letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, urging Seoul to swiftly implement follow-up measures tied to the trade provisions in the joint fact sheet.
The Korea Herald and Herald Business have learned that the letter pointed to a joint fact sheet clause in which, "The United States and the ROK commit to ensure that US companies are not discriminated against and do not face unnecessary barriers in terms of laws and policies concerning digital services, including network usage fees and online platform regulations."
However, Cheong Wa Dae reiterated, "The government has continuously explained to the US side, through multiple channels, that South Korea's digital-related legislation and policy measures do not discriminate against US companies."
The remarks came amid growing speculation that Trump's tariff announcement may be tied to bilateral frictions over digital regulation.
Washington has voiced dissatisfaction with revisions to South Korea's Information and Communications Network Act approved by the National Assembly in late December, as well as the repeated introduction of bills aimed at regulating online platforms.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Vice President JD Vance had also raised concerns during their meeting in Washington on Friday, questioning whether South Korea would pursue a "discriminatory and aggressive investigation" into Coupang's massive data breach.
Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol met main opposition People Power Party Rep. Lim Lee-ja, who chairs the Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee, Tuesday afternoon.
During the meeting, Koo said, "We'll likely find out once Minister Kim Jung-kwan travels from Canada to the US whether this is strictly about (the Korea-US tariff agreement) or whether other issues involving Coupang are also intertwined."
The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement Tuesday morning that it would "seek the National Assembly's cooperation on the special bill" during the meeting and "continue to actively consult with the legislature going forward, including on this matter."
While Tuesday afternoon's meeting had already been scheduled, discussions were expected to focus primarily on the tariff issue following Trump's social media post.
The ministry added that it is "currently working to gauge the US position" and will "stay in communication with the US government, including by explaining developments in the National Assembly's deliberations on the bill going forward."
Separately, Rep. Lee Cheul-gyu, chair of the Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, received a briefing on the matter from Trade Minister Yeo and Industry Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak.