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President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea speaks at a New Yr’s press convention on the Blue Home state guesthouse on Jan. 21, 2026. (Yonhap)
US President Donald Trump prompt that america will “work one thing out with South Korea” in reference to plans he introduced Wednesday to extend tariffs on South Korean merchandise.
The White Home defined that Trump’s remarks had been prompted by South Korea not fulfilling its finish of the 2 sides’ earlier settlement to decrease the tariffs.
On the White Home on Wednesday, Trump was requested about his plans to boost tariffs for South Korea earlier than departing on a go to to Iowa. In response, he indicated that the 2 sides would discover a manner.
“We’ll work one thing out with South Korea,” he reiterated.
Observers learn his remarks as leaving room for the US to withdraw the tariff improve based mostly on dialogue with Seoul.
The White Home reiterated Trump’s place from the day earlier than about South Korea’s failure to honor the settlement it made in change for decreasing tariffs.
Responding to questions from the Hankyoreh, a White Home official stated, “The straightforward actuality is that South Korea reached a cope with the Trump administration to safe decrease tariffs.”
They went on to say that whereas the US had certainly lowered tariffs, the “Koreans have made no progress on fulfilling their finish of the cut price.”
After reaching a commerce settlement with South Korea on July 30 of final 12 months, the US lowered its “reciprocal” tariff on Korean items coming into the US from 25% to fifteen% round every week later. When South Korea launched a invoice to its Nationwide Meeting on Nov. 26 for a particular act on US funding to implement the settlement’s follow-up measures, tariffs on cars and vehicle elements had been additionally lowered from 25% to fifteen%, efficient retroactively from Nov. 1.
Washington’s perspective is that whereas the US was immediate about executing measures in keeping with the settlement, South Korea has failed to maneuver rapidly sufficient on its promised US$350 billion in US funding.
Republicans on the Home Judiciary Committee tied Trump’s remarks to the scenario with the retail firm Coupang. On the social media web site X, Republican representatives on the committee shared a publish about Trump’s tariff improve with a message studying, “That is what occurs whenever you unfairly goal American corporations like Coupang.”
By Kim Received-chul, Washington correspondent
Please direct questions or feedback to [english@hani.co.kr]
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