Minister Kim Jeong-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will visit the United States on the 23rd for tariff negotiations. This is his first visit to the U.S. to resolve issues such as reciprocal tariffs and item tariffs, just two days after his inauguration.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 22nd, Minister Kim will meet with his U.S. counterpart, Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, during his visit to discuss the reduction of item tariffs on automobiles, steel, and other products. Park Jong-won, the Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry, will also accompany him on this trip.
Earlier, Yeo Han-koo, head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, departed for the U.S. that morning for a 2+2 tariff negotiation. The 2+2 meeting will include South Korean representatives, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Ko Yoon-cheol, and Head Yeo, along with U.S. representatives Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, and Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative.
Head Yeo is expected to meet with key figures from the U.S. government and Congress before the 2+2 negotiations to persuade them of the necessity of reducing the 25% reciprocal tariff and item tariffs on automobiles and steel.
The government plans to make every effort in the negotiations to ensure that both South Korea and the U.S. can achieve a win-win outcome. Head Yeo emphasized, "All possibilities, including the best and worst-case scenarios, are open to us, so we will strive to maximize national interests by reflecting our sensitive issues as much as possible."
He also stated, "Based on the 'Korea-U.S. manufacturing renaissance partnership' proposed to the U.S. side during my visit from the 5th to the 9th, I will actively respond to ensure that this tariff negotiation leads to positive-sum results, creating a virtuous cycle of investment, purchasing, and new growth dynamics with the U.S."