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South Korean Foreign Minister says Trump tariff threat not a 'breakdown' of trade deal

Published: 29 Jan. 2026, 18:40 Updated: 29 Jan. 2026, 18:41

SEO JI-EUN
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Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks during a panel discussion hosted by Kwanhun Club, a senior journalists' association, in central Seoul on Jan. 29. [NEWS1]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to reimpose higher tariffs on South Korean products does not amount to a "breakdown" of the existing bilateral trade deal.

Cho said that the comments should instead be understood as part of ongoing "consultations" over the implementation of the joint fact sheet released by the two countries in November, speaking at a forum hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists in Korea, at the Seoul Press Center in central Seoul.

"This should be understood as consultations on the faithful implementation of the existing fact sheet," he said.

He said concerns may have been raised within the United States that implementation was lagging, prompting Trump's comments.

Trump on Tuesday wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that Korea's legislature "is not living up" to its trade deal with the United States, threatening to hike tariffs on local products, including automobiles, from 15 percent back to 25 percent if the National Assembly does not approve a promised $350 billion investment package.

Later in the day, Seoul's Foreign Ministry released a statement to reporters clarifying that treaty ratification is an act carried out by the president, while the National Assembly exercises the authority to give consent only for certain categories of treaties.

"We will need to adapt to President Trump's sudden policy announcements made through social media," Cho said, adding that changes in the U.S. decision-making structure and the way policies are announced were difficult to detect in advance.

"There is no need for us to overreact and weaken our own position," the minister added.

Some critics have suggested that South Korean authorities' probe into the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang in the wake of a massive data breach may have influenced the United States' position.

Cho warned against drawing such links.

"Interpreting the issue by linking it ourselves is not only unfounded, but could also unnecessarily weaken our negotiating position with the United States," he said.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands as he gifts a gold crown and an award of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, not seen, during a high honor ceremony at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 29, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

On bilateral consultations over South Korea's push to build nuclear-powered submarines — also referenced in the fact sheet — Cho confirmed that a U.S. negotiating team could visit South Korea as early as next month, or that Seoul may travel to Washington. He said both sides share an understanding on beginning construction in the late 2020s.

The minister added that efforts to secure rights to uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing should be "pushed together."

Cho also addressed concerns following the release of the latest U.S. National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy — outlining Washington’s policy direction, including for the Korean Peninsula — neither of which explicitly mentioned North Korea’s denuclearization.

“We have been told repeatedly by the U.S. side — and have confirmed — that there has been no change in its stance on extended deterrence or denuclearization,” Cho said. Cho had a breakfast meeting with Elbridge Colby, the U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, on Monday during his visit to Seoul.

Cho also said the Korean government would "take time to evaluate" whether to participate in a Trump-led Gaza "Board of Peace." He dismissed the idea that the initiative could replace the United Nations, calling it unrealistic.

Cho stressed the need for South Korea to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), saying the country should move forward "even if certain domestic industries face difficulties." He dismissed suggestions that CPTPP accession should be linked to the issue of Japanese seafood imports.

Cho did not rule out the possibility of lifting South Korea's restrictions on U.S. beef imports from cattle aged over 30 months in a future bilateral trade agenda.

He said Japan and Taiwan view the regulation as a nontariff barrier and have already scrapped it, adding that only Russia and Belarus maintain similar restrictions.

"The Agriculture Ministry has favored taking more time," he said. "We are considering raising the issue again at an appropriate point."

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]