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| ▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Jan. 20, 2026, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) White House-Korea tariff
(LEAD) White House official says S. Korea made 'no progress' despite Trump's tariff cuts
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS more info in paras 5-8)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- A White House official said Tuesday that South Korea has made "no progress" on fulfilling its end of a bilateral trade deal although U.S. President Donald Trump lowered tariffs on the Asian country.
The official made the remarks a day after Trump said he is increasing "reciprocal" tariffs and auto duties on South Korea, among others, to 25 percent from 15 percent, taking issue with a delay in the Asian country's legislative procedures supporting the implementation of the trade deal.
"The simple reality is that South Korea reached a deal with the Trump administration to secure lower tariffs," the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.
"While the president lowered tariffs on Korea, the Koreans have made no progress on fulfilling their end of the bargain," the official added.
Trump's surprise tariff announcement created confusion among policymakers in Seoul, prompting them to rush Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who was in Canada on a business trip, to Washington for talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Under a trade deal struck in late July and finalized months later, Seoul has committed to investing US$350 billion in the United States, among other pledges, in return for Washington's lowering of "reciprocal" tariffs to 15 percent from 25 percent.
Trump's move to increase tariffs came amid concerns in Washington over South Korea's ongoing investigation into Coupang Inc., a U.S.-listed firm, over a massive customer data leak and the Asian country's moves to regulate online platform companies.
It also followed concerns that the Korean currency's weakness could get in the way of the Asian country delivering on its investment commitment.
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