Photo : YONHAP News
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks about raising tariffs on South Korean goods do not constitute an annulment of the two nations’ bilateral trade deal, describing them instead as part of implementation-related consultations.
Cho made the remarks on Thursday during a discussion hosted by the Kwanhun Club at the Korea Press Center, when asked whether Trump’s implementation of a 25 percent tariff would undo the agreement.
The minister said Trump appeared to threaten to raise Seoul’s tariffs in response to concerns that the agreement’s implementation had been delayed on the South Korean side.
Cho said it was difficult to view the situation as a breakdown of the agreement, but that South Korea could address the issue by explaining its position clearly to the U.S.
He emphasized that the process should be seen not as a renegotiation but as consultations aimed at faithfully implementing the existing fact sheet.