US-South Korea tariff talks planned in Washington for next week

South Korea will hold negotiations with the US government next week over the trade tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump.

According to a government statement on Sunday, Seoul will send Trade Minister Ahn Duk Geun and Finance Minister Choi Sang Mok to Washington for the talks, which are expected to take place on Thursday and Friday.

According to the statement, the negotiations are being held at the request of the US government.

Interim President Han Duck Soo had previously signalled an accommodating stance regarding the trade measures.

South Korea “will not fight back” against the US import tariffs, Han said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday.

In it, he emphasized South Korea’s historical debt to the US: “After the devastation oF the Korean war … the United States gave us aid, technology transfer, investments and security assurances,” he said, enabling the country’s current prosperity.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced a so-called “reciprocal tariff” of 25% on South Korea, before then announcing a 90-day suspension of the measures.

South Korea’s export-heavy economy is likely to be hit particularly hard by the tariffs.