South Korea's Chosun Ilbo: South Korea Cannot Meet with the US in Trade Talks, Japan Has No Results Even After Multiple Meetings

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, July 10: South Korea-US Trade Talks Stuck, High-Level Communication Channels Almost Disrupted

The communication channels between the South Korean government and senior U.S. officials have been continuously blocked, and trade negotiations are at an impasse. On June 6, Kim Seong-ro, Director of the National Security Planning Staff of the Blue House, made an emergency visit to the United States, but his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio was brief, and he failed to meet with Treasury Secretary Becerra. Although Lee Han-kyu, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Rattner twice, the negotiations did not make progress. Since President Lee Jae-myung took office, he has only had a 20-minute phone call with Trump, the planned G7 summit meeting did not take place, and no subsequent high-level dialogue has been scheduled. More troubling is that the positions of South Korea's Foreign Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance remain vacant, and the parliamentary personnel hearing has been postponed to July 17, further weakening the negotiation capacity. Former Ambassador to the U.S. Jo Hyeon-dong has been excluded from core negotiations, while the envoys sent by Lee Jae-myung, Kim Jong-in and Lee Yeon-joo, lack experience in tariff and security issues. The U.S. has taken a cold stance toward South Korea, and even Trump did not mention the call with Lee Jae-myung on social media. According to data from South Korea's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, South Korea's trade surplus with the U.S. reached $55.6 billion in 2024, but the U.S. insists that South Korea should open its market and remove trade barriers, making the negotiation prospects bleak. Experts from the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank pointed out that the Trump administration uses tariffs as a pressure tool, and allies such as South Korea and Japan may face long-term economic shocks if they fail to meet its demands. Currently, South Korea is intensifying domestic coordination, trying to reverse the situation before the tariff comes into effect on August 1, but analysts believe that the lack of direct high-level dialogue will make breakthroughs even more difficult.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837228329013440/

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