Shortly after Trump's abrupt threat on Monday, it was revealed that Seoul had received a letter from the U.S. about two weeks ago raising concerns over South Korea's push to regulate digital platforms.
When asked by reporters about the letter he received from acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul James Heller on Jan. 13, Bae dismissed any link to tariffs. "The letter simply requested that South Korea approach the matter of regulating digital platforms in a more reciprocal way," he said.
Trump threatened to raise reciprocal tariffs on Seoul from 15 percent back to 25 percent, citing delays in the implementation of a bilateral agreement reached by the two countries in late October last year, only to soften his stance a day later, saying he would "work something out with South Korea."
Some have speculated that disputes over Coupang prompted Trump's tariff threat, after several U.S. lawmakers raised concerns over "discriminatory measures" against Coupang in South Korea's investigation into a massive data leak detected late last year.
In a related development, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, during his meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in Washington, D.C., warned South Korea "not to target tech companies with discriminatory regulations and investigations, in the latest U.S. effort to protect American internet platforms as it threatens higher tariffs on the country."
But Bae said the matter is "completely unrelated" to the tariff issue. He said South Korea has been in discussions with the U.S. through multiple channels on issues related to online platforms and artificial intelligence-related laws and regulations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol also said, "The government is looking into Trump's latest threat through various channels to figure out the intentions behind it."
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