▲ Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan arrives at the Incheon International Airport on Oct. 6, 2025, after wrapping up his trip to the United States for tariff talks. (Yonhap)
▲ This image, captured from U.S. President Donald Trump's Truth Social account, shows his announcement of a decision to increase reciprocal tariffs and auto duties on South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) finance ministry-US tariffs

(2nd LD) Seoul to send industry, trade ministers to U.S. after Trump's tariff hike announcement

(ATTN: UPDATES headline, lead; RESTRUCTURES throughout; ADDS byline; CHANGES photo)

By Kim Na-young

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to send Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo to Washington for talks on implementing a trade agreement after U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement to raise tariffs on Korea, the industry ministry said Tuesday.

Kim, who has been on a visit to Canada, will depart for Washington to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

Kim will head to the U.S. as soon as he wraps up his work in Canada as a member of a special delegation to support Seoul's bid to win Canada's submarine project, the ministry said.

Yeo, too, will soon head to the U.S. from Seoul to hold talks with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer over the tariff hike issue.

The ministers' trips to the U.S. were decided after the presidential office said it will convey the country's commitment to implementing its trade deal with Washington.

The Korean government has been scrambling to devise a response strategy since earlier in the day when Trump wrote in a social media post that he will raise "reciprocal" tariffs and auto duties on South Korea to 25 percent from 15 percent, citing Seoul's lack of progress in the legislative process to implement the deal, which was finalized in October.

The Trump administration had sent a letter to Seoul about two weeks earlier, calling for the swift implementation of the trade deal, according to the industry ministry.

The finance ministry said earlier that it will also closely communicate with the U.S. over the ongoing legislative progress for a special bill on Seoul's investment plans in the U.S.

"We are currently working to gauge the intentions of the U.S. side," the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a message to reporters. "Going forward, we will engage with the U.S. government to explain developments in discussions over the legislation at the National Assembly."

In November, Seoul's ruling Democratic Party submitted the special bill designed to support the country's US$350 billion investment pledge to the U.S., which was part of the tariff deal that lowered U.S. tariffs on South Korean products to 15 percent from 25 percent.

The ministry said it was also planning to ask for the assembly's cooperation for the passage of the bill in a meeting between the finance minister and the chair of the parliamentary finance committee, set to take place later in the day.

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