Yeo Han-koo, the head of the trade negotiations department at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited the United States for Korea-U.S. trade consultations and met with Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, to request exemptions from reciprocal tariffs and tariffs on items such as automobiles and steel.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Deputy Minister Yeo held consultations simultaneously with Secretary Lutnick and Representative Greer at 4 p.m. on the 23rd (local time) in Washington, D.C.
During the consultations, Deputy Minister Yeo requested exemptions from tariffs on items such as automobiles and steel, including reciprocal tariffs on Korea. The trade ministers of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible.
Deputy Minister Yeo noted, "There had been limits on the progress of discussions due to Korea's political situation. Now that the new government has secured democratic legitimacy and its mandate, a chance to advance comprehensive negotiations has been created."
The Korea-U.S. two countries will conduct technical consultations from the 24th to the 26th. The technical consultations will focus on finding alternatives that both sides can accept based on the issues raised by each part.
Deputy Minister Yeo stated, "Korea and the U.S. need to cooperate closely as our industrial supply chains are tightly interconnected," adding, "Through this negotiation, we will strive to establish a new framework for manufacturing partnerships between the two countries." He further noted, "In the future, we will concentrate on negotiations with the U.S. side with a sense of urgency."