The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding that South Korea take concrete steps to implement its six-month-old trade deal with the U.S. in order to prevent tariffs from rising to 25%, according to U.S. officials.
Trump¡¯s latest tariff threat marked the culmination of broader tensions in the trade relationship between Washington and Seoul, which have also been exacerbated by frustration over Korean digital-services regulations.
Vice President JD Vance met with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok last week in Washington and warned him against penalizing U.S. tech firms including Coupang, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The U.S.-based e-commerce company is an Amazon-like retailer that is widely popular in South Korea and under scrutiny for a data breach last year. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on the meeting.
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