Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks during a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday rejected speculations that US President Donald Trump's tariff comments were prompted b
10원야마토게임 y developments in Korea, seeking to tamp down speculation over the sudden announcement.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Cho said that Trump's tariff-hike comments were not prompted by Nat
바다이야기슬롯 ional Assembly's lack of ratification of the joint fact sheet with Washington, nor by the investigation into Coupang or the move to legislate the Online Platform Regulation Act.
"And as for
바다이야기2 what prompted President Trump's message this time, I believe the primary factors lie less on our side and more in the US side's decision-making structure and a range of other internal considerations."
바다이야기온라인 Cho told lawmakers at a plenary session of the Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
The Assembly session came after Trump's announcement that he would increase tariffs on S
바다이야기 outh Korean automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals ? as well as other "reciprocal" tariffs ? from 15 percent to 25 percent in a Truth Social post on Monday.
Trump claimed in the post that the increase was "because the Korean Legislature hasn't enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative," referring to the joint fact sheet announced by the allies on Nov. 14, 2025.
Cho rejected the notion when Rep. Song Eon-seog of the main opposition People Power Party raised the possibility that Trump's comments stemmed from the lack of ratification at the Assembly, citing Trump's post asking, "Why hasn't the Korean Legislature approved it?"
"It clearly does not appear to be the case that President Trump expressed such a position this time because there was no National Assembly ratification of the joint fact sheet," Cho said. "If that were the case, wouldn't it be unlikely that he would again send a message today saying he would work smoothly and well with the Korean government to handle this issue, when our position has not changed?"
Trump said, "We will work something out with South Korea," during a press availability at the White House on Tuesday, after he was asked whether he would increase tariffs on Korea.
The allies agreed that tariff reductions would apply retroactively from the first day of the month in which the bill was submitted to the National Assembly, not from the date it was passed, under their memorandum of understanding on strategic investment ? an annex to the joint fact sheet.
The Special Act on Managing Korea-US Strategic Investments was introduced by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Nov. 26, 2025. Following standard legislative procedure, the bill was placed in a deliberation period after it was referred to the Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee the following day.
Cho further explained, "Seoul had concluded that the matter was not directly related to Coupang or South Korea's online platform regulations based on our contact with the US State Department after the message was issued."
Cho was responding to a question about whether Trump was indirectly voicing dissatisfaction over South Korea's handling of Delaware-incorporated Coupang's personal data breach or the Assembly's move to enact an online platform bill, and whether the tariff move amounted to trade pressure linked to those issues.
Cho further explained that the recent letter from the US Embassy in Seoul "dealt with other matters and did not address tariffs," denying any linkage between the letter and Trump's post when asked whether it could have been a warning sign.
James Heller, charge d'affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, sent a Jan. 13 letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, urging Seoul to swiftly implement follow-up measures tied to trade provisions in the joint fact sheet.
The Herald Business and The Korea Herald learned the letter cited a joint fact sheet clause committing both sides to ensure US companies face no discrimination or unnecessary barriers in Korea's digital-service rules, including network usage fees and platform regulations.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cited South Korea's failure to implement the trade provisions of the joint fact sheet as a factor behind Trump's warning of possible tariff hikes.
"We implemented our portion where we modified our tariff rates," the US top trade negotiator said, referring to the tariff reduction from 25 percent to 15 percent during his interview with Fox News on Tuesday. "They have not executed their part; they haven't implemented."
Greer also pointed out that "they haven't been able to get a bill through to do the investment. They've introduced new laws on digital services.
"So, it's hard to continue to hold up our end of the bargain while they have not moved forward swiftly enough on their end."
