Amid Fears of a 'Tariff Bomb,' Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha to Return Home Abruptly... Anxiety Grows Over Signs of Strain in South Korea–U.S. Relations Fueled by Coupang

[Financial News] Kang Kyung-wha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States of America, will return home temporarily this week amid signs of strain in South Korea–United States relations. This is already the second time this year that Kang has returned home over pending bilateral issues. She also made a temporary return in April and held discussions on South Korea–United States relations with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
According to MOFA on the 14th, Kang will return home temporarily from the 15th to the 19th under instructions from Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and hold working-level consultations on South Korea–United States relations with relevant ministries and agencies.
Kang has recently commented on the Coupang issue, a key point of contention in the South Korea–U.S. economic dispute, as well as the possibility of additional U.S. tariffs. She made the remarks at a press briefing for correspondents at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States of America in Washington, D.C., on the 8th local time. Kang said, "With the July 24 expiration of the 10% global tariff under Section 122 approaching, the Office of the United States Trade Representative's tariff measures under Section 301 related to forced labor were announced in June and are now under review, and the results of the Section 301 investigation into overproduction are also drawing attention."
Kang said, "We are emphasizing that the balance of interests between the two countries must be maintained in line with the existing South Korea-U.S. tariff agreement."
However, the Trump administration is seeking to use Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to identify unfair trade practices by major trading partners, including South Korea, in order to impose additional tariffs over the longer term. The USTR already signaled last month that it would add a 12.5% tariff, saying South Korea had allowed products made with forced labor to circulate and had undermined the price competitiveness of U.S. companies.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter