Yeo Han-koo, Trade Minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources who oversaw the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, was abruptly dismissed on the 15th. The decision came after the United States lodged complaints through multiple channels about Korea not finalizing its first U.S.-bound investment project, and after the presidential office held a countermeasure meeting.
According to a compilation of ChosunBiz reporting, the Deputy Minister was notified by the Ministry of Personnel Management the previous day of a dismissal by authority effective on the 15th. Dismissal by authority is a disciplinary measure based on Article 70 of the State Public Officials Act that allows an appointing authority to take action for reasons such as poor work performance.
The Deputy Minister previously served as head of the Office of the Minister for Trade in 2021–2022 under the Moon Jae-in administration and was appointed last June as the first head of the Office of the Minister for Trade under the Lee Jae-myung administration. The person was the Director General of the task force (TF) that oversaw the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, which decided on a $350 billion investment in the United States.
The dismissal of the Deputy Minister, the top commander on trade, is unusual given that it came amid a pileup of trade issues, including the possibility of additional tariffs under Section 301 of U.S. trade law and claims in the U.S. Congress of reverse discrimination against Coupang. The Deputy Minister attended the Emergency Economic Headquarters meeting on the 13th, and the schedule for next week had been shared with the press pool.
In a statement sent to the press pool, the Deputy Minister addressed allegations of being dismissed by authority over personal misconduct, saying the claims were "clearly different from the actual facts," and noted that "in cases of indiscriminate spreading false information, legal procedures may be pursued to protect rights."
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) plans to activate an emergency work system chaired by Park Jeong-seong, the assistant minister for trade.