Ahead of high-level tariff talks between Korea and the United States, the government reviewed the tariff negotiation response situation and discussed strategies for addressing specific issues.
On the 17th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the 46th Trade Promotion Committee meeting in the Korean Trade Insurance Corporation building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, chaired by Lee Han-goo, the head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters.
This is the first meeting at a government-wide level to prepare a response strategy related to tariff negotiations with the United States since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung government.
Officials at the director-level from various relevant ministries attended the meeting, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korea Customs Service, the Personal Information Protection Commission, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Deputy Minister Ye said, "All ministries must approach the negotiations with a strong sense of responsibility so that the two countries can derive mutually beneficial results, proactively review major issues, and actively discover cooperation packages to respond vigorously to the negotiations."
He continued, "As tariff negotiations with the United States are progressing rapidly worldwide, we have been slower than major countries due to various uncertainties," and added, "In line with the new government's governance philosophy of 'growth', we must turn the Korea-U.S. trade negotiations into opportunities for enhancing industrial competitiveness and creating growth engines through the modernization of our systems and regulatory rationalization."
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the relevant ministries participating in the meeting expressed their determination to actively engage with a unique commitment, as the Korea-U.S. trade negotiations are a significant issue that directly affects the fate of our economy.
A government official said, "In preparation for intensive negotiations in the future, we will solidify the inter-agency joint response system by holding the Trade Promotion Committee frequently and pooling national capabilities to ensure that the Korea-U.S. trade negotiations are concluded smoothly."