Minister of Industry and Trade Kim Jeong-gwan arrives in the United States via Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC, on the night of the 28th (local time) to respond to the ‘Trump tariffs’. Yonhap News

On the 29th (local time), Minister of Industry and Trade Kim Jeong-gwan met U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnick to address the threat of a U.S. tariff re-hike, but they did not immediately find common ground.

According to Yonhap News, Minister Kim arrived at the Commerce Department building in Washington around 5 p.m. that day and left the building around 6:24 p.m. after speaking with Secretary Rutnick. Minister Kim told reporters, “We talked about many things and agreed to meet again tomorrow morning,” adding, “It is not concluded yet.”

When asked whether he had blocked the U.S. tariff increase, he answered, “It is not to the point of saying we blocked it or did not block it.” Asked whether they also discussed the schedule for publication in the official gazette, he said, “We did not go that far (we did not).”

On the 26th, President Trump announced that he would raise item-specific tariffs on Korean automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals, as well as all other ‘reciprocal tariffs’, back to 25%, the level prior to the trade agreement. On the surface, he cited the fact that the Special Act on Investment in the U.S., needed to implement the investments in the United States that South Korea pledged as a condition for tariff reductions, has not yet been enacted. This was interpreted as reflecting dissatisfaction with the pace of South Korea in promoting investment in the United States and an intention to press for faster implementation.

However, the next day President Trump told reporters, “We will find a solution with South Korea in one way or another,” signaling that the tariff increase was not a settled matter. The South Korean government urgently dispatched Minister Kim to consult on the matter with Secretary Rutnick.