On the 22nd, Deputy Minister Wi Seong-rak said that Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin did not attend the South Korea-Japan summit and headed to the United States to respond to demands for additional openings in the U.S. agricultural products market, noting, "It was originally planned to visit the U.S." He specifically stated, "To speak directly, Minister Park did not go because of agricultural products; that is not the case." However, he acknowledged that negotiations related to agricultural products are ongoing in accordance with U.S. demands.
During a press briefing at the Presidential Office that afternoon, Deputy Minister Wi stated regarding his direct departure to the U.S. without stopping in Japan, "The Foreign Minister had planned to visit the U.S. before President Lee Jae-myung left for the U.S.," adding, "He planned to check in and coordinate just before the talks. Other ministers, including the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Chief Trade Negotiator, are also participating in that process."
However, there is a possibility that the opening of the agricultural products market, which has been at the core of the South Korea-U.S. trade negotiations, could resurface as a pressing issue. The Presidential Office previously stated during a briefing on a deal reached at the end of last month that "there will be no additional opening of agricultural products, such as rice and beef." However, according to Deputy Minister Wi, the U.S. has since been demanding the opening of agricultural products, and the two countries are currently in discussions.
Deputy Minister Wi stated, "The opening of the agricultural products market is one of the issues discussed in the trade negotiations between Korea and the U.S.," adding, "We are responding according to our existing position." He also noted, "The fact that this issue is still being discussed is because the U.S. is raising it, but our position remains unchanged."
The focus on the agricultural products issue arises from the conflicting results announced by both countries regarding the opening of the rice market and investment in previous trade negotiations. Official briefings from both countries indicated divergent views on whether the market would be opened, while the U.S. unilaterally announced the distribution ratio of investment revenue.
Karoline Leavitt, White House Spokesperson, stated during a briefing on the 31st (local time) that "the South Korean delegation met with President Trump at the White House yesterday to finalize negotiations," adding, "Korea will pay a 15% tariff, and will provide historic market access to American goods like autos and rice." This aligns with what President Trump wrote the day before on Truth Social: "Korea will completely open up to American products such as cars, trucks, and agricultural products."