Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom and Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will head back to the United States on the morning of the 22nd to discuss U.S.-Korea tariff negotiation issues.
The presidential office and the ministry announced on the 21st that Kim and the minister would visit the United States. For Kim, it will be only three days since returning from his U.S. trip; for the minister, just two days after coming back, he will head to the United States again.
Some observers say the move could mean that visible results in the U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations may emerge soon. In particular, with a U.S.-Korea summit scheduled to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju at the end of this month, there are expectations that items on which the two sides do not differ greatly could see agreement in written form at the summit. Some speculate that provisions related to revising the nuclear cooperation agreement will be included in the joint statement.
In fact, on the 19th, upon returning from his U.S. trip, Kim told reporters at the airport, "There was substantial progress on most of the issues. Compared with before the trip, the chances of reaching a deal on the sidelines of APEC have grown," adding, "However, there are one or two issues that still require coordination, so we need to negotiate further, including conveying our position additionally."
After returning from his U.S. visit on the 20th and arriving at Incheon Airport, the minister also said he could visit the United States again and continue negotiations if necessary even before APEC, signaling an intent to accelerate the tariff talks.