Karoline Leavitt, White House Spokesperson, said she did not know the specific timing for the tariff hike against Korea that U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled.
On the 5th (local time), Spokesperson Leavitt said at a White House briefing, responding to the question, "When is the timing for raising tariffs on Korea (15→25%)?", that "there is no timeline for that (tariff hike)," adding, "we will make sure the White House trade team can provide answers quickly and without delay."
Earlier, on the 26th, President Trump threatened on Truth Social to raise item-by-item tariffs on Korean automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals, as well as all other reciprocal tariff (country-by-country tariffs), to 25%, the level before the trade deal. He cited the fact that the Special Act on Investment in the United States failed to pass the Korean National Assembly, meaning the terms of the agreement were not implemented.
In response, Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and Yeo Han-koo, head of the Office of the Minister for Trade, immediately traveled to the United States and held talks with senior officials including U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also said to be continuing persuasion efforts while carrying out a schedule in the United States.
However, no sharp conclusion such as withdrawing the tariff hike has emerged yet. U.S. military-related departments are understood to be consulting on publishing the issue of raising Korea's tariffs in the Federal Register.
Yeo Han-koo, head of the Office of the Minister for Trade, told reporters immediately after returning on the 5th, "What matters is whether, even if it is published in the Federal Register, the timing of the tariff hike is immediate or whether there will be a grace period of about one to two months," adding, "since there is still time to consult, we will work to ensure the conclusion is reached in the most favorable direction."