Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during a press briefing with the prime ministerial press corps at his official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Monday that he has been communicating with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance through a direct hotline seeking clarification on Washington’s intentions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting a possible tariff increase.
Speaking at a New Year press briefing with the prime ministerial press corps at his official residence in Seoul, Kim said the hotline was activated immediately after Trump made his comments.
“I exchanged phone numbers with Vice President Vance in person during my recent visit to the United States, and we have since communicated several times,” Kim said. “After President Trump’s sudden message, we activated the hotline with Vice President Vance and used all available channels to determine the U.S. government’s actual position.”
The remarks followed Trump’s post on social media last week, in which he accused Korea of failing to implement the tariff agreement and said he would raise tariffs on Korean autos, pharmaceuticals and other goods from 15 percent to 25 percent.
Kim rejected claims that Trump’s remarks reflected a diplomatic failure by Seoul, saying the message had not been circulated widely even within the U.S. administration.
“As far as we understand, most people inside the U.S. government were not aware of the message in advance, except possibly the president himself and the commerce secretary,” Kim said. “It reflects President Trump’s distinctive way of delivering messages, rather than a breakdown in bilateral communication.”
Kim said establishing the hotline shortly before the controversy proved to be a timely decision, allowing Seoul to assess the situation quickly and avoid misinterpretation.
“The hotline does not operate on its own,” he said. “It works alongside existing diplomatic and security contacts, enabling both sides to confirm intentions and respond calmly.”
Addressing speculation that the tariff issue was linked to U.S. pressure over the Korean e-commerce company Coupang, Kim dismissed the claim as inaccurate.
“Reports suggesting that Vance raised the Coupang issue as a major pressure point, and that this led to the tariff message, are not consistent with what we confirmed,” he said.
Kim added that any legal issues related to Coupang — including investigations into a massive data breach affecting millions of users, regulatory scrutiny by Korean authorities and complaints from U.S. investors alleging discriminatory treatment that could impact trade obligations — would be handled in accordance with Korean law, while maintaining close communication with Washington to ensure the matter does not escalate into a broader trade dispute.