SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to reinstate “reciprocal tariffs” on South Korean exports, hinted at a possible compromise on Tuesday before departing for Iowa on a campaign-style trip focused on the economy.
“We’ll work something out with South Korea,” Trump said when asked about his earlier remarks suggesting tariffs on Korean products — including automobiles — could be raised to 25 percent from 15 percent. He had cited delays in South Korea’s legislative procedures to approve a trade framework tied to $350 billion in investment pledges from Korean companies.
An anonymous White House official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump was frustrated by what he views as Seoul’s failure to deliver on its commitments.
“While the president lowered tariffs on Korea, the Koreans have made no progress on fulfilling their end of the bargain,” the official said. “Other alleged issues in the U.S.-Korea relationship are not pertinent to the president’s decision here.”
The report however said the Trump administration has warned Seoul against targeting U.S. technology companies through what it views as discriminatory regulations or investigations. Concerns over South Korea’s broad probe into Coupang — which brands itself as a U.S. tech company while providing platform services primarily to Korean consumers — were raised during a meeting last week between U.S. Vice President JD Vance and visiting South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. The latter had explained that the ongoing investigation probes a massive data breach, regardless of where it is based.
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