The presidential office said that it has yet to receive any official notification or detailed explanation from the U.S. government regarding President Donald Trump’s sudden threat to raise tariffs on South Korean goods.
The top office said on Tuesday that an interagency meeting chaired by the presidential chief of staff for policy, Kim Yong-beom, will take place later in the day to assess the situation.
The government is expected to analyze the background of Trump’s comments at the meeting and determine its response accordingly.
The presidential office also said Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who is currently in Canada for talks on defense industry cooperation, plans to visit the United States as soon as possible to discuss the matter with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, that South Korea’s legislature was not living up to the trade agreement between the two countries and that he would raise tariffs on South Korean automobiles, timber, pharmaceuticals and other goods from 15 percent to 25 percent.