Citizens watch news on the phone call between Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and U.S. President Donald Trump at Seoul Station on April 9. AP-Yonhap News

A senior official from the Office of the Prime Minister on April 9 effectively ruled out the possibility of presenting a defense cost-sharing issue as part of a “package deal” in future reciprocal tariff negotiations with the U.S., stating, “It’s not a deal that involves only the defense cost-sharing issue.”

Speaking to reporters at the Government Complex in Seoul on that day, the senior official responded to a question asking whether the government was preparing a package deal linking tariffs and defense cost-sharing, saying, “There’s no such package involving tariffs and defense costs.”

The official cited the previous day's phone call between Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duk-soo and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Han emphasized “South Korea’s strong willingness to "enhance cooperation with the U.S. in three key areas: shipbuilding, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and trade balance.” When asked if the government is considering lowering tariffs in response to the renegotiation of defense cost-sharing, the official replied, “It's difficult to say specifically now.”

This suggests that future tariff negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. will not be limited to the defense issue alone, but will be discussed alongside other issues such as the economy and trade. This is likely in light of Trump's announcement that he intends to negotiate a comprehensive deal with South Korea on tariffs and other issues, including defense cost-sharing. Earlier, after a phone call with Han, Trump said on social media that “one-stop shopping is a beautiful and efficient process,” referring to the cost of military protection provided to South Korea.

The government is mindful of Trump's remarks on defense cost-sharing. “Although the term ‘defense cost-sharing’ was not explicitly mentioned in our press release regarding the phone call, it was included in the part where they talked about the ‘Korea-U.S. military alliance,’” the senior official said.

The government also appears to be taking a cautious approach to negotiations with the U.S. as part of a strategic effort to strengthen its bargaining position. The senior official said, “There are many complex and interrelated issues, such as non-tariff barriers and LNG project plans, so it will take time for discussions to materialize.”

The government’s current stance is to prioritize adjustments to the U.S. imposed tariffs. The senior official explained, “The main issue is tariff rates, so revising them is our top priority in negotiations with the U.S.”

While pursuing bilateral tariff negotiations with the U.S., the government also expressed its intention to work in coordination with other countries on related matters.

In response to Han's statement in a CNN interview the previous day that the trilateral meeting of South Korea, China, and Japan's economic and trade ministers held on March 30 was not a response to the U.S. tariffs, the senior official explained, “We didn't say we wouldn't stand in solidarity (with other countries).” He added, "We can't do LNG projects alone, but we need to work with other interested countries. It doesn't mean we won't cooperate on multilateral trade issues.”

During the call, Han and Trump reportedly agreed on the “complete denuclearization of North Korea.” There was no mention of North Korea-Russia military cooperation, the official said.

The previous day's call between the two leaders was attended by Bang Ki-seon, Minister of Government Policy Coordination of South Korea, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office explained, “Acting President Han conveyed everything sufficiently.”

“Overall, the call was conducted in a very friendly atmosphere,” Bang told reporters later in the day. “Han initially intended to speak entirely in English, but due to the pressure of it being a summit-level call, he used an interpreter for the beginning and then switched to speaking in English later on,” he added.

During the call, Han told Trump, “In future trade negotiations with the U.S., we will do our utmost to ensure that South Korea is not placed at a disadvantage compared to other countries.”