The Presidential Office stated on the 1st that the White House announced the conclusion of trade negotiations with Korea, saying, "Korea has decided to open its rice market," adding, "There will be no further openings," and "We can say that our understandings and perceptions of the detailed conditions differ somewhat." It also noted that Korea's opening rate of the U.S. agricultural product market is 99.7%, saying, "It is correct that our government announced that we will not open the remaining 0.3%."
Kang Yoo-jung, the Spokesperson for the Presidential Office, responded during a briefing that afternoon regarding the inconsistency between the White House and the Presidential Office's explanations on "opening of U.S. rice," saying, "It is true that agricultural products will not be further opened." She specifically mentioned that, "While there could be changes to make the inspection and quarantine process easier when importing, regarding the overall quantity, it might be due to some misunderstanding from the U.S. side."
Regarding the possibility of "easing quarantine" on some agricultural products, she stated, "The detailed items are still being coordinated and there is room for negotiation," noting, "As of now, it is not a definitive statement that we will go that way (unconditionally)." She continued, "It is correct that there will be no additional opening for agricultural and livestock products. We have different understandings and perceptions regarding the detailed conditions."
During this negotiation process, the two countries announced conflicting results regarding the core agenda of rice market opening and investment. In the official briefings from both countries, there were discrepancies regarding whether the market would be opened, or the U.S. unilaterally announced the revenue sharing ratio for investments.
◇White House announces "historic openings in automobiles and rice" after Korea's announcement
Karoline Leavitt, the Spokesperson for the White House, stated during a briefing on the afternoon of the 31st (Eastern Time) that "the Korean delegation met with President Trump at the White House yesterday and finalized the negotiations," stating that "Korea will pay a tariff of 15% and will provide historic market access to American goods like autos and rice." This aligns with President Trump's post on Truth Social the previous day, saying, "Korea will completely open its market to U.S. products such as automobiles, trucks, and agricultural products."
The stance of the White House Spokesperson came after the Presidential Office announced that "there will be no further opening of the domestic rice and beef markets." Kim Yong-beom, the Deputy Minister of the Presidential Office, conveyed the details of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiation conclusion during an urgent briefing the previous morning, stating, "It is true that there were strong demands for opening from the U.S. side, but considering food security and the sensitivity of agriculture, we agreed not to open the domestic rice and beef markets further."
The Presidential Office stated that it views the U.S. expressions as "political rhetoric." Deputy Minister Kim remarked, "(President Trump's 'complete opening' message) is understood as the expression of a political leader." He continued, "There has been no discussion regarding the opening of our agricultural products, nor is there any agreement on it," adding, "We are opening 99.7% of U.S. agricultural products and are the top importing country for U.S. beef, and the U.S. side seemed to empathize significantly. We were able to make a deal that did not cause special problems in that area."
However, the Presidential Office did not reveal specifically what kind of answer the U.S. side provided regarding the rice market opening. Given that President Trump suggested a "summit within two weeks," it seems that related issues will also be discussed at the Korea-U.S. summit to be held within this month.
A representative from the Presidential Office stated, "It is true that President Trump raised agricultural issues during the negotiations, but when we mentioned the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) situation, the U.S. agricultural product opening rate of 99.7%, and that we are the top importing country of U.S. beef, President Trump accepted that." He also added, "There are differences in interpretation and expression between the two countries," stating, "I view that Spokesperson Leavitt also mentioned 'rice' in the post that Trump put on social media, repeating that."