Scott Bethsent, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, noted on the 29th that “the outlines of tariff negotiations with Korea are gradually becoming clear.” During a news conference marking the 100th day of Donald Trump's presidency held at the White House, Secretary Bethsent said, “The U.S. is making progress in trade agreements with India, Korea, and Japan.”
He mentioned negotiations not only with Korea but also with India and Japan, adding, “I think we have gotten very close to India. We’ve had substantial discussions with Japan as well.”
Secretary Bethsent also said, “The Korean government wants to successfully negotiate with the U.S. before the presidential election and then proceed with the next campaign.” This statement somewhat contrasts with the existing position of our government, which has argued for a 'July package negotiation' to allow the next administration to finalize the trade agreement with the U.S. after the early election in June.
In response to a question mentioning the Korean side's assertion that it would be difficult to achieve a comprehensive agreement before the presidential election, Secretary Bethsent stated, “I see it quite the opposite. The Korean government wants to set the framework for a trade agreement before the election to show voters that they successfully negotiated with the U.S. before the election,” adding, “We have confirmed that Korea wants to come to the negotiation table more actively to resolve this issue and then return to campaign.”