The Democratic Party of Korea welcomed the dramatic conclusion of the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, which had struggled for nearly three months after a broad framework agreement, saying "we captured both the economy and security." The party said it will actively support follow-up measures to the negotiations at the National Assembly level.
Floor leader Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party said at a national audit strategy meeting on the 29th morning, "We sincerely welcome the successful conclusion of the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. An excellent result," and added, "With this agreement, we can simultaneously protect the stability of the foreign exchange market and the export competitiveness of our corporations."
Kim said, "We also designed the structure of financial investments in the United States, which many people were worried about, in a stable way. By setting an annual investment cap, we minimized market shocks, and safeguards have been prepared to brace for exchange rate fluctuations."
Regarding the tariff reduction effects by item, the floor leader said, "We have secured an environment where key industries such as automobiles, semiconductors, and shipbuilding can compete fairly," emphasizing, "In particular, cutting the tariff on auto parts to 15% is a decision that has let the industry breathe."
On U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that he approved South Korea's construction of nuclear-powered submarines, the party said, "Following the economy, we also captured security," and evaluated, "If nuclear-powered submarines are added, we will have a decisive strategic asset to protect peace on the Korean Peninsula."
Policy Committee Chair Han Jeong-ae said, "The nuclear-powered submarine that was Roh Moo-hyun's dream has come before us as a result of yesterday's South Korea-U.S. summit," adding, "It is also a positive signal for negotiations to secure the right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel." She added, "The National Assembly will do its best to back the outcomes of these negotiations."
Democratic Party lawmakers also issued welcoming messages en masse on social media. Secretary-general Cho Seung-rae wrote, "Not only the successful tariff negotiations but also the approval to build nuclear-powered submarines and progress on the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel are very meaningful for maximizing South Korea's security interests and developing the nuclear power ecosystem," adding, "Economy, Lee Jae-myung; diplomacy, Lee Jae-myung; security, Lee Jae-myung."
Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-hee said, "We greatly welcome President Lee Jae-myung's national-interest-centered South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiation agreement by a diplomatic genius," praising that "in an international order where country-first policies are strengthening, President Lee's national-interest-centered pragmatic diplomacy is demonstrating its true value."
Within the party, until the day before, the prevailing outlook was that "it will not be easy to conclude the tariff negotiations," but the dramatic last-minute agreement has buoyed the party's mood.
Meanwhile, the two countries finalized the tariff negotiations on the occasion of the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and President Trump the day before. For the $350 billion financial investment package in the United States, which was a sticking point, $200 billion will be invested in cash directly, with an annual investment cap of $20 billion, and the selection of investment projects will be discussed by an investment committee based on "commercial reasonableness." Mutual tariff rates will be maintained at 15%, and tariffs on automobiles and auto parts will also be cut to 15%. For semiconductors, a tax regime that is not disadvantageous compared with rival Taiwan will be applied.