Trump Signals Flexibility on South Korea Tariffs

The South Korean president’s office said ministers would travel to the United States to convey their commitment to implementing the trade deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump departs for Florida from the White House on Jan. 16, 2026.Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 27 that the United States will negotiate a solution with South Korea following his announcement of higher tariffs on the ally’s exports the previous day.

“We'll work something out with South Korea,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a speech in Iowa.

He offered no further details on potential concessions or timelines.

Trump said in a Jan. 26 post on Truth Social that he was restoring U.S. tariffs on South Korean automobiles and other products to 25 percent, up from the current 15 percent rate. The hike, he said, stemmed from the failure of South Korea’s legislature, the National Assembly, to uphold its end of a bilateral agreement struck in 2025.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said ‌the United States reduced the rate in exchange for Seoul’s pledge to invest $350 billion in the United States, allow more U.S. cars ​into South Korea, and eliminate some nontariff barriers.

“In the meantime, they haven’t been able to get a bill through to do the investment,” Greer told Fox Business Network.

He said that South Korea had also fallen short on promises related to agriculture, manufacturing, and digital services.

Greer highlighted the swelling U.S. trade deficit with South Korea, which reached $65 billion under the Biden administration.

He said it is “not sustainable” and has to change.

Under terms agreed to in 2025, the United States reduced tariffs on Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for expanded market access in South Korea for U.S. vehicles, barrier reductions, and a massive investment commitment.

South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party submitted legislation to implement the trade deal with the United States in November.

Kim Hyun-jung, a South Korean Democratic Party spokesperson, said on Jan. 27 that five bills are before the National Assembly and have bipartisan support from the People Power Party, which is currently the second-largest party in the legislature and the main opposition party.

Vehicles prepared for export at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on July 31, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

“Since President Trump has not mentioned the timing of the tariff increase, the key question is how quickly follow-up legislation and support systems, such as special laws, can be established to support the implementation of the Korea–U.S. agreement,” Kim said.

The South Korean Democratic Party spokesperson said the party looked forward to bipartisan cooperation with the People Power Party.

In a separate statement, People Power Party spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon criticized the current South Korean presidency for entering into the trade agreement without sufficiently addressing the necessary steps to ratify the agreement.

“Since the Korea–U.S. tariff agreement was signed, the People Power Party has repeatedly emphasized that National Assembly ratification must take precedence, given its significant impact on national finances, key industries, and trade sovereignty,“ Choi said. ”However, the ruling party has staunchly ignored National Assembly ratification.”

Choi called for the South Korean government to “immediately open emergency consultation channels with the United States to minimize the scope and impact of the tariff hikes and develop effective support measures for industries expected to be affected.”

The South Korean president’s office said Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo will travel to the United States to meet with their respective U.S. counterparts, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Greer.

“The government will convey its commitment to implementing the deal to the U.S. side,” South Korean presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told Yonhap News Agency on Jan. 26.

The White House has not specified when the higher duties might be imposed and did not return a request for comment by publication time.

Ryan Morgan and Reuters contributed to this report.