Kim Jeong-gwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, has returned from a visit to the United States aimed at addressing urgent tariff increase discussions announced by President Donald Trump.
Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, Kim told reporters, "Although a tariff agreement was reached last year, the U.S. has expressed disappointment due to the special law on U.S. investment currently pending in the National Assembly. I clearly communicated that there is no reason for the South Korean government to delay or avoid implementing the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. I believe unnecessary misunderstandings between our two countries have been resolved." Earlier, Kim met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in Washington, D.C., to discuss recent tariff increase plans and other trade issues.
Regarding speculation that the government's regulatory measures on online platforms, including Coupang, influenced Trump's tariff announcement, Kim stated, "That discussion never came up. It seems the U.S. does not consider the 'Online Platform Act' or Coupang as significant factors affecting the tariff negotiations."
Kim emphasized the importance of swiftly passing the special law on U.S. investment but noted that discussions on Korea-U.S. cooperation projects would be pursued even before that. He added, "I expect there will be discussions among foreign exchange authorities regarding future investments."
Additionally, during his visit, Kim met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to establish practical consultation channels in the energy and resources sector and discuss cooperation between the two countries. While Kim mentioned that various discussions took place regarding nuclear cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, he remained cautious about providing specific details.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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