Because of "historical debt": South Korea says it won’t fight Trump’s tariffs
Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo said that Seoul "will not resist" the duties imposed by US President Donald Trump.
The politician said this in an interview with the Financial Times, Censor.NET reports.
He made the statement on the eve of trade talks with Donald Trump's administration, which are scheduled to begin next week.
According to Han Duck-soo, the United States has played a "huge role" in "making Korea what it is today."
"After the devastation of the Korean War, the United States provided us with aid, technology, investment, and security guarantees... This helped make South Korea "a very comfortable investment environment for foreigners," the acting South Korean president said.
Given this "debt of gratitude," according to the politician, Seoul prefers to enter into negotiations with Trump in search of "solutions that will benefit both sides," rather than view Trump's actions as "an object against which we must fight."
At the same time, as the FT notes, South Korean officials were alarmed when Trump announced 25% reciprocal tariffs on Seoul this month, despite a free trade agreement under which South Korea does not actually levy duties on American goods.
However, Han Duck-soo said that Seoul is ready to discuss "non-tariff trade barriers" with Washington.
