The government has stepped up outreach to the United States to address U.S. concerns over Section 301 tariff actions under U.S. trade law and Korea's domestic digital regimes.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on the 25th that Yeo Han-koo, head of the Office of the Minister for Trade, visited Washington, D.C., on Aug. 21-24 (local time) and met key figures from the U.S. administration, Congress, and industry to discuss bilateral trade issues.
During the visit, the Deputy Minister met 10 U.S. senators and representatives, including Sen. Bill Hagerty and Rep. Adrian Smith, chair of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee.
At the meetings, Yeo explained that Korea's digital-related laws and policies are operated in a way that does not discriminate against U.S. corporations. It was reported that the focus was on addressing U.S. concerns raised over domestic digital regimes, including the Coupang case.
He also stressed that Korea is one of the major investors in the United States. The Deputy Minister said cooperation between Korea and the United States needs to be expanded in key industrial sectors such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, and energy, and asked for support from the U.S. Congress so that the two countries' economic ties can develop on a mutually beneficial basis.
A joint meeting was also held with a delegation of lawmakers from the Korea-U.S. Parliamentary Exchange Association visiting the United States. The Deputy Minister, together with the delegation, met Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Brad Schneider and conveyed the intention to strengthen Korea-U.S. relations and economic cooperation.
He also reached out to major U.S. digital corporations. The Deputy Minister met officials from Google, Apple, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Qualcomm and explained that the Korean government's digital policies are not measures intended to discriminate against a particular country or corporation.
Discussions were also held on additional U.S. tariff measures. On the 21st, ahead of the legal expiration deadline of the 10% global tariff under Section 122 of U.S. trade law on the 24th, the Deputy Minister met Jamieson Greer, head of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The Deputy Minister confirmed with Greer the status of the investigation under Section 301 of U.S. trade law and plans for follow-up measures, and conveyed the Korean government's position that the balance of benefits between the two countries under the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement must be maintained.