By Kehinde Adegoke | THE CHOSUNILBO
Washington D. C.: U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated trade tensions with South Korea, announcing on January 26 that tariffs on Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and other goods will jump from 15% to 25%.
The move, unveiled abruptly on his Truth Social account, comes as Washington accuses Seoul of dragging its feet on key trade commitments.
“The President lowered tariffs on Korea, but there has been no progress in fulfilling promises,” the White House said on January 27, underscoring frustration over stalled negotiations.
South Korea’s government has launched an investigation into the sudden hike, while House Republicans defended the measure, claiming Korean firms—including e-commerce giant Coupang—have unfairly targeted U.S. companies.
The tariff surge marks a sharp turn in U.S.–Korea trade relations, signaling Washington’s willingness to apply pressure when pledges go unmet.
A White House official explained Trump’s tariff hike by stating, “The simple reality is that Korea reached an agreement with the Trump administration to lower tariffs but has failed to honor its commitments.”
This refers to South Korea’s pledge to invest $350 billion (about 505 trillion Korean won) in the U.S. in exchange for lower automobile tariffs, a promise stalled by the National Assembly’s failure to pass a special law.
In contrast, Japan, which pledged $500 billion in U.S. investments, is expected to announce its first project following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s March visit to the U.S. Trump stated the previous day, “The Korean legislature is not upholding the agreement between Korea and the U.S.,” adding, “accordingly, tariffs on automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and all other reciprocal tariffs will rise to 25%.”
Meanwhile, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee (chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan) shared a screenshot of Trump’s X (formerly Twitter) post, commenting, “This is what happens when you unfairly target U.S. companies like Coupang.”
The Trump administration and Congress have shown extreme sensitivity to foreign government regulations targeting U.S. big tech firms. Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly inquired about the Coupang issue during a meeting with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on the 23rd, urging efforts to prevent misunderstandings in U.S.-Korea relations.
Koo Yun-cheol, Minister of Economy and Finance, told lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee, “We have no idea why this situation occurred.”
It is known that Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Resources, currently in Canada, may visit Washington, D.C., as early as the 28th to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Earlier, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with the U.S.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, but reportedly received no specific information regarding the tariff measures. Some argue that this incident highlights the need to operationalize the hotline proposed in August by the Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and White House power broker Susie Wiles.
Even Kim Jung-kwan, the first South Korean trade minister to visit the U.S. since 1987, mentioned the hotline during a press briefing, stating, “Vance provided a contact number.”
