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Korea, U.S. may unveil 'fact sheet' on tariff negotiations at APEC: Security adviser

Published: 26 Oct. 2025, 16:51

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, heads toward the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on Oct. 26 as he accompanies President Lee Jae Myung on his trip to Malaysia for the Asean summit. [YONHAP]

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Sunday that Seoul and Washington may announce a “joint fact sheet” covering both tariff and security negotiations during the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju.

In a televised interview, Wi said tariff negotiations have “narrowed somewhat through intensive coordination but still have key issues remaining,” adding that President Lee Jae Myung has issued “a strong directive to negotiate rigorously based on economic rationality and the national interest.”

When asked about the presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom’s comment on Friday that “hoping for a deal by APEC would be premature,” Wi clarified that “it doesn’t mean the APEC window will simply be allowed to pass,” adding that “the message was that national interest comes first — everything else is secondary. The president believes that if allies negotiate on reasonable grounds, there’s nothing that can’t be agreed upon.”

Wi also suggested that the security component of the negotiations could be finalized first. “During the previous Korea-U.S. summit, we hoped to announce both the tariff and security agreements together, but only the security side was ready, so the announcement was postponed,” Wi said. “If tariff talks are concluded this time, both could be released simultaneously. Otherwise, we’ll decide whether to announce separately or wait until both are finalized.”

Wi added that a joint fact sheet remains one possible format. “A fact sheet is one form of document — it can be issued unilaterally or jointly,” Wi said. “A joint fact sheet is a mutually agreed document, effectively the same as an agreement. It could also take the form of a memorandum of understanding."

"We’ve been working on such documentation, and most of the security-related language has already been coordinated," said Wi. "What remains is the tariff portion — once that’s settled, the package deal will be complete.”

Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, left, and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan listen to questions from reporters at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 early Oct. 24 after returning from the United States following additional discussions on Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. [NEWS1]

Wi added that “it remains uncertain whether the tariff documentation will be ready in time,” but confirmed that “the security document is complete — whether to release it separately remains to be seen.”

Wi’s remarks contrast with earlier statements from the presidential office that ruled out the possibility of announcing any agreement in the form of a fact sheet or partial deal.

On Oct. 22, a senior policy official said, “A fact sheet format is not being considered for a Korea-U.S. agreement,” while Kim said the government was not “considering signing a partial agreement simply to meet the APEC timeline.”

Addressing the revision of the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement — one of the main security issues — Wi said the matter “was largely approved and understood during the last Korea-U.S. summit.”

Regarding Seoul’s request to expand its uranium enrichment rights, he said, “We’ve received a positive response,” noting that “Japan has both enrichment and reprocessing rights, and that’s the model we’re referring to. We’re asking the United States to grant the same level of authorization as it does to Japan.”

President Lee Jae Myung, left, heads toward the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on Oct. 26 while speaking with liberal Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae, right, before departing for Malaysia to attend the Asean Summit. [YONHAP]

Wi also commented on the U.S.-China summit scheduled to take place Thursday in Busan, calling it “an unusual setup where the two leaders meet for the first time not in their capitals, but on the sidelines of a multilateral forum in a third country.”

“I don’t expect the meeting to be particularly long,” he said, adding that “as the host country, Korea is working to produce an APEC declaration. If the U.S.-China talks go well, that process will be smoother.”

Wi added that the government is “making efforts to bring about a declaration” and is “playing a coordinating role between Washington and Beijing.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON JI-WON [[email protected]]