Seoul: Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced on Monday that South Korea and the United States are making progress on resolving tariff-related issues, a development attributed to the direct communication line he established with U.S. Vice President JD Vance last month. This statement was made during a press conference amidst ongoing debate over the South Korean government's readiness for U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat to increase tariffs on South Korea from 15 percent to 25 percent.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Kim faced criticism after Trump's unexpected announcement, which came just a day after Kim returned from Washington, where he had set up a direct "hotline" with Vice President Vance. Kim defended the decision to establish the hotline, emphasizing its role in facilitating communication and understanding between the two nations. He noted that in addition to the hotline, multiple communication channels were mobilized to address the situation.
Following Trump's social media announcement, South Korean trade officials promptly traveled to Washington to engage in discussions with their U.S. counterparts to mitigate uncertainties surrounding the tariff issue. Trump has expressed willingness to "work something out with South Korea."
Prime Minister Kim dismissed claims that the situation reflected a diplomatic failure on the part of the South Korean government. He asserted that most U.S. officials, apart from a few, such as U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, were also unaware of Trump's announcement prior to its public release. Kim attributed the issue to Trump's distinctive communication style.
Furthermore, Kim rejected reports suggesting that Trump's tariff threat was linked to Vice President Vance's mention of South Korea's investigation into a significant data breach at the U.S.-listed e-commerce company Coupang Inc. Kim clarified that this interpretation was inaccurate and that any legal matters related to the data breach would be managed under South Korean law, with both countries committed to preventing the issue from escalating into an unnecessary trade dispute.
During the press conference, Kim addressed a variety of topics, including judiciary reforms, domestic politics, and local government merger plans. He reiterated the administration's commitment to stabilizing the housing market, as emphasized by President Lee Jae Myung, and expressed hope that contentious issues related to a new agency set to replace the prosecution service would be resolved by June. The establishment of this agency aims to address concerns regarding the prosecution's historical misuse of power for politically motivated investigations.