Seoul: The South Korean government has received a letter from the United States addressing concerns over Korea's push for digital regulations, the industry ministry said Tuesday. This comes amid speculation that the issue may be one of the reasons U.S. President Donald Trump announced an increase in reciprocal tariffs on South Korea back to 25 percent.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the letter was sent to Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon approximately two weeks ago and was also delivered to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. While the industry ministry initially did not elaborate on the details due to "diplomatic" protocol, it later confirmed that the letter focused on digital regulation issues in Korea. The ministry clarified that the letter was not directly related to Trump's accusation that the Korean legislature is not fulfilling its obligations under the trade deal finalized in October between the two nations.

Earlier in the day, President Trump stated that he is raising "reciprocal" tariffs and auto duties on Korea to 25 percent from 15 percent. He cited a delay in the approval by the Korean National Assembly of a special bill intended to support the country's investment pledge to the U.S. This bill was submitted by the ruling Democratic Party in November but has not yet been passed.

Observers in South Korea speculate that Trump's move may also serve to pressure Seoul regarding its recent push for digital regulations and an ongoing investigation into Coupang Inc., a U.S.-listed e-commerce firm involved in a major data leak incident. U.S. lawmakers and investors have labeled the investigation "discriminatory," while the State Department expressed "significant concerns" last month regarding Seoul's regulatory actions that could impact online platform businesses.

The issue concerning Coupang was also a topic of discussion during a meeting between Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and U.S. Vice President JD Vance last week. The two officials agreed to manage the situation to prevent misunderstandings between their respective governments, according to Seoul officials.