April 24, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea’s finance and trade ministers are set to hold high-level talks with their counterparts in the US’ Trump administration on Thursday, aiming to ease tariff-related tensions and address broader trade concerns.
Upon arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday (local time), Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said the talks would focus on promoting mutual understanding.
“I plan to actively explain Korea’s position while listening to the concerns of the US side. Through this, we hope to broaden our mutual understanding and find ways to support one another,” Choi told reporters.
“I will do my best,” he said, adding that he will announce the outcome of the talks afterward.
Choi and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun will meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 8 a.m. Thursday in Washington (9 p.m. Thursday, Korea time) for the first “2+2” trade consultation.
The meeting marks the beginning of high-level, full-scale talks following Trump’s April 2 announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on more than 180 countries, including tariffs of 25 percent on South Korea.
A week later on April 9, Trump walked back these tariffs for 90 days, instead imposing a “baseline” tariff of 10 percent for the period, adding to his March 12 tariffs of 25 percent on products such as steel, automobiles and aluminum.
This week will be the first in-person meeting between Choi and Bessent, who assumed office in late January.
While the agenda has not been publicly disclosed, Seoul anticipates that a broad range of issues — including nontariff barriers, digital trade, agriculture and regulatory transparency — may be discussed.
Ahn, who left for Washington on Wednesday, also said he will focus on resolving trade imbalances and strengthening industrial cooperation in sectors such as shipbuilding and energy.
“We have been discussing nontariff issues at the working level for some time. This time, we have formed a large-scale delegation to conduct more substantial and meaningful negotiations,” Ahn said.
Joining the ministers is a delegation of about 60 working-level officials from eight ministries, including foreign affairs, science and ICT, environment, health and land and transport.
“The US has consistently raised concerns about nontariff barriers, so we are preparing for those to be brought up during the talks,” a government official said. “Director-level officials and below from various ministries are taking part to closely understand what the US side wants.”
South Korea’s Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) departs for Washington from Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD