SEOUL, February 01 (AJP) -South Korea has stepped up last-minute diplomacy in Washington to head off a threatened hike in U.S. reciprocal tariffs, with Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo widening outreach across the Trump administration, Congress and U.S. industry just days after Seoul’s industry minister returned home with limited tangible progress.
Yeo Han-koo, who arrived in Washington early Friday, has continued meetings through the weekend with U.S. administration officials, lawmakers and business leaders, according to officials familiar with the schedule. His visit is set to run into early next week, underscoring Seoul’s urgency as it seeks to prevent tariffs from reverting to 25 percent.
Yeo’s trip follows President Donald Trump’s warning on Jan. 26 that the United States could raise reciprocal and sector-specific tariffs on South Korean automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals, citing delays in South Korea’s National Assembly in passing a special law tied to U.S.-bound investment commitments.
The move would roll back last year’s agreement that kept the rate at 15 percent and comes as Seoul has pledged up to $350 billion in long-term investments in the United States.
Speaking before his departure, Yeo said he would focus on dispelling what he described as “misunderstandings” in Washington over South Korea’s legislative process. "There appears to to have been an impression that agreements were not being implemented because of legislative delays. I intend to explain the political context and procedural differences," he said.
Officials said Yeo will also meet his U.S. counterpart, Jamison Greer, to discuss tariff issues and broader trade cooperation.
Yeo’s expanded outreach comes on the heels of Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan’s Washington visit, during which Kim met senior Trump administration officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Upon returning to Seoul on Friday, Kim acknowledged that the U.S. side had expressed disappointment over the pending investment-related legislation but said Seoul had made clear there was “absolutely no reason” to delay implementation of bilateral trade commitments.
Kim also pushed back against speculation that U.S. concerns over South Korea’s proposed Online Platform Fairness Act or regulatory scrutiny of Coupang had influenced Trump’s tariff threat. He said the issues never came up, suggesting they do not pose as material to the tariff framework.
During his trip, Kim and Wright agreed to open a working-level consultation channel on energy and resources, with discussions also touching on broader nuclear cooperation, though Kim declined to provide details.
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