Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on the 29th that the ministry will make sure there are no misunderstandings about the progress of Korea's domestic legislation and will carefully explain that there has been no change in the Korean government's position regarding cooperation and investment with the United States.
Meeting with Korean reporters immediately after arriving at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., that morning, the Minister said, "On the morning of the 30th, I plan to meet with my U.S. counterpart, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick," and stated accordingly.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on the 27th, "The Korean legislature is not keeping the agreement between Korea and the United States," adding, "Accordingly, we will raise tariffs on automobiles, timber, and pharmaceuticals and all other reciprocal tariffs (country-by-country tariffs) on Korea from 15% to 25%."
Regarding this, the Minister said, "I understand there is dissatisfaction with the progress of our domestic legislation," and added, "After President Trump mentioned tariffs, I contacted Secretary Lutnick once, and he was thinking along those lines as well."
The domestic legislative situation the Minister referred to is the special act on investment in the United States, which has been introduced in the National Assembly but has not yet been processed.
On reports that the U.S. government has begun the process of posting the tariffs in the Federal Register, the official said, "As a working-level matter, I understand it as a natural procedure, and we will discuss the specifics further."
During this trip to the United States, the Minister will also hold meetings with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and National Energy Chair Doug Burgum. At these meetings, there is a possibility that discussions will be held on investment in the United States, including the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and construction of nuclear power plants in the U.S.