On the 22nd (local time), Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, arrived in the United States for trade consultations with the Donald Trump administration.

Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Economy and Finance depart on the morning of 22nd at Incheon International Airport to attend the ROK-U.S. 2+2 Trade Consultation, G20 Finance Ministers' Meeting, and International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC). /Courtesy of News1

After arriving in the United States via Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., Deputy Prime Minister Choi told reporters, "I came to start discussions to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Deputy Prime Minister Choi is the highest-ranking official to visit the United States since the launch of the Trump administration's second term. He is scheduled to attend the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting to be held in Washington from the 23rd to the 24th. Additionally, he will participate in the planned South Korea-U.S. 2+2 trade consultation on the 24th along with Minister Ahn Duk-geun from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The U.S. counterpart in the consultation will be Treasury Secretary Scott Vest and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

This will be Deputy Prime Minister Choi's first meeting with Secretary Vest. Regarding his commitment to the South Korea-U.S. trade consultations, he said, "I will do my best." He added, "I plan to first listen carefully to the issues of interest from the U.S. side and actively explain our position, which will help both sides and broaden our understanding, so I intend to work hard in that regard."