S. Korea going all in to secure deal as tariffs deadline looms

Korea's top economic officials are racing against time to seal a deal with their American counterparts prior to this coming Friday's deadline on the pause in country-specific U.S. tariffs.

Park Jun-han has the latest.

High-level South Korean officials are going all out as they engage in trade talks, crisscrossing the globe to negotiate with their U.S. counterparts, reflecting Seoul's determination to mitigate the economic impact of potential reciprocal tariffs of 25-percent.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol flew to Washington to continue negotiations with the U.S., saying he will do his utmost to secure a deal.

"We will do our best to reach a mutually beneficial deal for both South Korea and the United States, with our national interests at the core."

South Korea's trade delegation, led by Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo , has pursued relentless talks, following U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer from Washington, D.C., to New York, and even to Scotland, where they met during President Trump's visit there.

"Well, the South Koreans flew to Scotland to meet with me and Ambassador (Jamieson) Greer after dinner. I mean, think of how much they really, really want to get a deal done."

On July 31st, Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol is scheduled to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent , while Foreign Minister Cho Hyun — who departed for Japan on Tuesday — will meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as both sides push to seal a comprehensive agreement.

Meanwhile, Hanwha Group's Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan departed for Washington on Monday to support the tariff negotiations.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong followed on Tuesday afternoon.

Kim is expected to propose a shipbuilding cooperation project between the two countries, while Lee will push expanded semiconductor investment and technical collaboration on advanced AI chips in the U.S.

Park Jun-han, Arirang News.