South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated his intention to explain South Korea’s parliamentary procedures to the United States following US President Donald Trump’s warning of a potential tariff increase due to delays in implementing a bilateral trade agreement. Cho, before heading to Washington for discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to address doubts within the Trump administration regarding Seoul’s commitment to invest $350 billion in the US. Trump’s tariff threat, raising concerns of a possible breakdown in the trade deal, was clarified by Cho as not indicating the deal’s collapse.
Cho emphasized his plan to provide a detailed explanation to US officials, highlighting that the agreements between the two governments are undergoing the legislative process in accordance with South Korea’s National Assembly procedures. He expressed his intention to convey the same message to the US Congress and other government representatives. When questioned about the potential use of the trade deal delay as leverage in negotiations concerning Seoul’s uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities, Cho downplayed the likelihood of such a scenario.
Cho reassured that efforts would be made to swiftly implement the joint fact sheet, outlining trade and security agreements, in collaboration with Secretary Rubio. Additionally, Cho is traveling to Washington to participate in a US-led ministerial meeting focusing on critical minerals supply chains, scheduled for Wednesday.
