White House Says Timing of South Korea Tariff Hike Still Undecided, Follow-up Measures Unclear

Financial News reported that on the 5th (local time), White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration does not yet have a specific timetable for implementing the South Korea tariff increases announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, stating, "We do not have a timetable yet."
During a White House briefing that day, Leavitt was asked when tariffs on South Korean imports would be raised from 15% to 25%. She replied, "I do not have a timeline for that," and added, "The White House trade team will work to share the relevant details quickly and without delay."
On August 26, Trump used his social media platform Truth Social to criticize the failure of the National Assembly of Korea to pass the Special Act on Investment in the United States. He warned that he would roll back item-specific tariffs on South Korean automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and other products, as well as all other reciprocal tariffs, to the pre–South Korea–United States trade agreement level of 25%.
Afterward, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-gwan and Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo visited the United States and held negotiations with senior Trump administration officials, including United States Secretary of Commerce Howard William Lutnick. Currently, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun is also in the United States, meeting with members of the US Congress and administration officials as part of ongoing outreach efforts.
Despite these diplomatic and trade efforts, South Korea has not yet secured the outcome it is hoping for, such as a withdrawal or postponement of the tariff hike plan. The South Korean government believes that relevant U.S. agencies are holding internal discussions on the process for publishing the South Korea tariff increase order mentioned by Trump in the Federal Register.
After returning from his U.S. trip the previous day, Yeo spoke with reporters and said, "Even if it is published in the Federal Register, the key question is whether the tariff increase takes effect immediately or whether there will be a grace period of about one to two months." He added, "The government will continue close consultations with the U.S. side to ensure the outcome is as favorable as possible to our national interest."
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km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter