Yeo Han-koo, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said on the 29th, "It can be evaluated that a certain level of trust has been established in order to accelerate the negotiations."
After completing the Korea-U.S. tariff consultations held in Washington, D.C. from the 22nd to the 27th (local time), Deputy Minister Yeo met with reporters at Incheon Airport on this day and said, "A channel has now been established to conduct negotiations with the U.S. side under the new government."
Deputy Minister Yeo noted that in addition to direct negotiations with U.S. government officials, he focused on building a coalition locally by meeting intensively with members of the U.S. Congress and key opinion leaders over a schedule of about 30 occasions.
In response to a question about the possibility of extending the proposed deadline for tariff negotiations with the U.S. set for July 8, he said, "The U.S. situation is very fluid, so all possibilities are open at this point," adding, "We plan to find a way to maximize our national interests while closely monitoring the political and economic situations unfolding in the U.S."
When asked whether there were specific demands from the U.S. side during this negotiation process, such as expanding beef imports, Deputy Minister Yeo only replied, "Through an intensive technical discussion process over three days, we adequately explained the areas that the U.S. requested and the sensitive areas on our side."
He is reported to have expressed the delegation's willingness for proactive discussions in areas such as information technology (IT) and manufacturing in connection with the 'non-tariff barrier' issues raised by the U.S. during this negotiation process. While emphasizing that Korea is already the largest importer of U.S. beef, efforts to eliminate misunderstandings were also said to have been pursued.
Deputy Minister Yeo also confirmed that the U.S. has hoped for Korea's participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, and he said that related discussions would continue cautiously in the future. He noted, "The Alaska project is something the U.S. is very interested in and hopes for Korea's participation," but added, "However, there are parts that need to be discussed in depth, such as commercial viability and various technical factors, which need to be agreed upon in advance."