In a written statement on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said that presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom, national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, and other key officials from relevant ministries met earlier in the day at Cheong Wa Dae for an emergency meeting to assess the intentions behind Trump's threat and determine possible response measures.
The scramble came after Trump posted on social media that "South Korea's Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States," referring to an agreement the two countries reached in late October last year. Complaining about delays in the deal's implementation, he then threatened to raise reciprocal tariffs from 15 percent back to 25 percent.
But Kang said, "Since tariff hikes would only come into effect after relevant administrative steps are taken, the government will convey its commitment to implementing the deal to the U.S. side while maintaining a calm stance."
Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jeong-kwan, who is currently in Canada, will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, while Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo also plans to visit the U.S. soon for talks with Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Meanwhile, many pundits reckon that Trump's sudden threat may be a tactic to secure a US$350 billion investment pledge from Seoul as early as possible, which was part of the broader trade deal. He may also be seeking to divert attention from growing domestic criticism and public outcry over his hardline immigration crackdown, which has recently resulted in a series of deaths in Minneapolis, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling next month on the legality of his sweeping tariff policy.
A bill related to the investment pledge, submitted by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) in last November, has been stalled in the National Assembly.
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