[Financial News] Regarding United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s statement that the United States is considering imposing tariffs on semiconductor products, Cheong Wa Dae said it plans to consult closely with the United States to prevent adverse effects on South Korean companies. A Cheong Wa Dae official said on the 3rd, “We understand that specific details regarding U.S. tariffs on semiconductors have not yet been finalized.” The official added, “The government plans to closely monitor related developments and consult closely with the U.S. side to ensure that our companies are not adversely affected.” Earlier, on the 2nd local time, Howard Lutnick told CNBC in an interview in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the Group of Twenty (G20) Innovation Ministers’ Meeting was held, that semiconductor tariffs would involve “a targeted and thoughtful tariff policy.” Lutnick said, “Basically, the policy is, ‘If you produce here in the United States, you do not pay tariffs. But if you do not produce here, be prepared to pay the price—the tariff—to gain access to the greatest market in the world.’” [email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter