The deputy prime minister Han Duck-soo announced on the 24th that a 2+2 trade consultation, attended by the finance and trade ministers of South Korea and the United States, will be held on the 24th at 9 p.m. (Korean time, 8 a.m. local time) in Washington, D.C.
During a meeting of the economic security strategy task force (TF) held at the Government Seoul Building, Han noted, "This consultation will be a starting point for meaningful cooperation." From the South Korean side, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun will attend, while U.S. participants include Secretary of the Treasury Scott Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Jamie Grier.
Han commented on the consultation process, saying, "The trade ministers of the two countries will also conduct individual discussions." He further stated that he would focus all efforts on negotiating calmly and seriously with the U.S. under the principle of "national interest first" to find mutually beneficial solutions for both nations.
He said, "We will prepare measures to minimize the difficulties our corporations face during the negotiations and will closely monitor the negotiation trends of major countries to ensure that the discussions proceed substantively."
He continued, "The negotiation process with the U.S. will not be easy, yet South Korea has achieved today's growth and prosperity by uniting as a nation and turning crises into opportunities and challenges into stepping stones for advancement."
He emphasized that successful negotiations with the U.S. require efforts from both the government and corporations, support from the public and media, and cooperation from political circles, adding, "This afternoon, I will explain in detail the schedule and plans for the U.S. negotiations to the National Assembly (referring to Minister Ahn)."