Home > National > Diplomacy

South Korea, U.S. expected to complete documents on trade, security agreements this week: Presidential office

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 19:44

Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul on Nov. 3. [YONHAP]

South Korea and the United States are expected to complete a memorandum of understanding and a joint fact sheet this week on their recently finalized trade negotiations and security agreements, a senior presidential official said Monday.

Seoul and Washington finalized an agreement last week on the details of Seoul's $350 billion pledge made in exchange for lower U.S. tariffs during summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, with final coordination under way to release joint documents.

"The fact sheet is expected to be completed this week as there are no major differences between the two nations," Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, told reporters.

When asked how the office evaluates the outcome of tariff negotiations, which set $200 billion cash investment out of the $350 billion pledge with an annual limit of $20 billion, Kang said, "We are not satisfied," adding Lee has not given a positive assessment.

In regard to Trump's accepting Lee's request of U.S. approval to produce nuclear fuel for a nuclear-powered submarine, Kang said it is the result of diplomatic efforts to persuade both Washington and Beijing amid North Korea's advancing nuclear capabilities.

"It came as a result of convincing China and the U.S. that we needed to be better prepared and equipped after North Korea announced its development of a nuclear-powered submarine," he said, declining to elaborate on the details of the diplomatic discussions.

In March, the North's state media reported leader Kim Jong-un inspected a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, marking the first time Pyongyang publicly revealed such a development.

Yonhap