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Gov't trying to get U.S. to understand Korea, Japan are different

Published: 01 Oct. 2025, 17:25

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, left, speaks at an event on the semiconductor industry held in Malaysia on Sept. 26. [NEWS1]

In its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, the Korean government is continuously emphasizing that Korea and Japan are different, Seoul's top trade negotiator said Wednesday.

“Economic indexes, foreign currency structure and the economic size of the two countries objectively show that [Korea and Japan] should not be treated the same,” Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said at a forum held in southern Seoul, suggesting that Seoul cannot be asked to bear the same costs as Japan in their trade negotiations with the United States.

Yeo, however, said he understood why Washington could put Korea in the same tier as Japan, noting that the United States recorded similar trade deficits with the two countries last year.
His remarks come amid ongoing negotiations between Seoul and Washington to map out details of a framework trade deal they signed in late July. Under the deal, Seoul pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States in exchange for the U.S. lowering its reciprocal tariffs on Korea to 15 percent from the initially proposed 25 percent, while also slashing its 25 percent tariff on Korean autos to 15 percent.

Tokyo earlier reached a similar deal with the United States, though it promised to invest $550 billion in the United States instead.

The countries later signed a detailed agreement, under which they will initially split profits from the Japanese investment equally, but will later shift to the United States receiving 90 percent of the profits once Japan earns back its $550 billion in original investment.

Washington has reportedly been calling on Seoul to sign a similar deal in regard to its $350 billion investment pledge.

Yeo acknowledged the criticism that the government has so far failed to lower Washington's 25 percent tariff on Korean cars and auto parts, but said that the government is taking the situation “seriously.”

He argued that it may be difficult for the United States to give special treatment to certain countries regarding auto tariffs, as there are too many nations simultaneously engaged in trade negotiations with the United States.

“I think the best approach is to keep the current competitive landscape as is,” he said. “In this situation, it seems realistic for Korea to negotiate on terms that are not disadvantageous.”

Yonhap