US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would raise tariffs on South Korean goods—including automobiles and pharmaceuticals—from 15 per cent to 25 per cent, citing South Korea’s failure to fully implement last year’s bilateral trade agreement.
In a Truth Social post late Monday, Trump wrote, “South Korea’s Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States.
The rates are going up because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative.”
The increase comes after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sought to re-establish closer economic ties with China, Seoul’s second-largest trading partner and a regional neighbour.
South Korea’s presidential office stated it had not been informed of the revised tariff plans in advance.
On Tuesday, an emergency meeting was convened in Seoul to formulate a response, with Trade and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan—currently in Canada—joining remotely.
Seoul issued a statement saying, “Our government intends to convey its commitment to implementing the tariff agreement to the US side while responding in a calm and measured manner.”
The presidential office also confirmed that Minister Kim will travel to Washington for direct talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to address the issue.
The dispute stems from a trade pact signed months ago, under which South Korea pledged significant investments in the United States in exchange for tariff reductions.
The agreement has since remained in legal limbo in South Korea, with the legislature yet to fully ratify or implement key provisions.
If the 25 per cent tariffs are enforced, South Korean automakers—major exporters to the US—would face severe competitive disadvantages and would likely need to redirect exports to other markets.
While President Trump has publicly announced the tariff hike, a formal notification or implementation timeline from his administration is still awaited.
The move follows Trump’s weekend warning to Canada that if Ottawa concludes a trade deal with China, he would impose a 100 per cent tariff on all goods crossing the border.
