News

Putin agrees with proposed 30-day ceasefire plan; Zelenskyy calls response deceptive

2025/03/14 20:00

In other news. Russian President Vladimir Putin has come up with his own demands for the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine, asking concessions from Kyiv. Choi Soo-young tells us more. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed in principle with the U.S.' proposed 30-day Ukraine ceasefire plan, but further terms and details need to be worked out. "We agree with the proposals to stop hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this ceasefire should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original roots of this crisis." On Thursday, at a news conference in Moscow, he said the idea was correct and he supported it, but he needs to discuss it with U.S. President Donald Trump, referring to him as "our American partner." Putin added that Ukraine would need to accept future conditions before the ceasefire agreement could be reached. He said that a decision should be made on how to handle isolated Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, one of the areas of contention, which he claimed Russia had regained full control of. He also stated that the ceasefire must be ensured, as Ukraine might use the period to secure more troops and supplies of weapons. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Putin is tactically preparing to reject the ceasefire deal. Zelenskyy said Putin is the one who will make the situation worse. "We have all just heard very predictable and highly manipulative words from Russia in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front. We do not set conditions that complicate things; Russia does. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day by day." He criticized Putin's response as deceptive, stating that the Russian leader was effectively refusing to accept the ceasefire proposal but responded in this way because he was afraid to tell the U.S. that he wanted to continue the war. Putin is expected to discuss the Ukraine conflict and ceasefire with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Moscow. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

S. Korea, U.S. conduct joint military exercises aimed at enhancing nighttime strike capabilities

2025/03/14 20:00

The army forces of South Korea and the U.S. have held a special target exercise, aimed at enhancing strike capabilities in nighttime conditions. South Korea's Army Special Warfare Command said Friday that around 250 troops from the two countries as well as 16 aircraft took part in the drill, including South Korea's CH-47 Chinook helicopters and the U.S. Black Hawks. The training involved clearing paths in pitch-black darkness using advanced equipment to swiftly and precisely strike the enemy's critical facilities. The joint 'special target exercise' was conducted over the past four days, from Monday through Wednesday.

Seoul urges Pyongyang to release detained S. Koreans following UN condemnation

2025/03/14 20:00

The government has renewed its call for the immediate release of three South Korean missionaries detained in North Korea for over a decade. The Ministry of Unification strongly condemned Pyongyang's unlawful actions on Friday and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the South Korean nationals. This follows the recent adoption of an opinion by the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which condemned their detention as unjustifiable. Released Thursday, the opinion demands their release, compensation, and an independent investigation.

Trump reaffirms ties with Kim Jong-un; Seoul stresses denuclearization

2025/03/14 20:00

Mr. Trump has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power again as he touted his ties with Kim Jong-un. Our Kim Jung-sil covers his latest remarks and the response from South Korea's Unification Ministry. U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed confidence in his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "I had a great relationship with Kim Jong-un, North Korea. If I wasn't elected, if Hillary got in, you would have had a nuclear war with North Korea." Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday, Trump emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue, referring to North Korea as a "nuclear power," a recognition with significant diplomatic implications. In response, a spokesperson from the South Korean Ministry of Unification reaffirmed the nation's unwavering commitment to North Korea's denuclearization. "North Korea's denuclearization remains a steadfast principle upheld by South Korea, the U.S., and the international community. Our government will continue to strengthen close cooperation with the new U.S. administration to achieve this objective." Trump also reflected on how his diplomatic efforts, including several meetings with Kim Jong-un during his first term, contributed to the success of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. "The meeting caused the Olympics, which was in South Korea, to become a tremendous success. Nobody was buying tickets for the Olympics because they didn't want to be nuked. And I met (with Kim) and not only did the Olympics become successful, but North Korea participated in the Olympics." However, the first U.S.-North Korea summit took place in June 2018, four months after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics concluded, in February. While discussions about renewed dialogue continue, experts suggest that priorities like trade tariffs may delay progress. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

Acting President Choi vetoes special probe into political broker and first couple

2025/03/14 20:00

Onto the political front. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has vetoed a bill calling for a special probe into an obscure political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The veto was largely expected and came on Friday at a Cabinet meeting during which Choi pointed out that Myung was already under investigation by the prosecution. Last month, the main opposition Democratic Party unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving President Yoon Suk Yeol , First Lady Kim Keon Hee , and Myung.

Trump announces U.S. will hit back against EU's retaliatory tariffs on U.S., escalating trade war

2025/03/14 17:00

We begin with the latest twist in an escalating trade war between the U.S. and the European Union. Mr. Trump has warned of a 200-percent tariff on European wine champagne and more IF the EU proceeds with its 50-percent tariff on American whiskey in retaliation of course for current U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Park Kun-woo has our top story. The U.S.-led trade war is intensifying as President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would not reconsider reciprocal tariffs set to be imposed on April 2nd. "We've been ripped off for years and we're not going to be ripped off anymore. Aluminum or steel or cars. We're not going to bend." Trump also uploaded a post on social media, threatening that he would soon impose a 200 percent tariff on alcohol products "coming out of France and other EU-represented countries" saying that would be great for U.S. wine and champagne businesses. That's in response to plans announced by the European Commission on Wednesday to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods worth 28 billion U.S. dollars, including a 50 percent tariff on whiskey from April. This came after the U.S. started imposing a 25-percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from Wednesday. EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, during a visit to South Africa, said on Thursday the EU would defend its interests while adding that it is also open to negotiations. She also said the bloc's trade commissioner plans to speak with his U.S. counterpart on related issues over the phone on Friday. And, with the trade war intensifying trade officials from South Korea visited Washington to discuss tariff issues. "If we're taking an exam, there must be some grading criteria. We need to first understand that criteria, and based on that, we should quickly correct any mistakes and need to persuade them on the points where we can." He added that they plan to request reciprocal measures to minimize the impact of the upcoming U.S. reciprocal tariffs. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

World News: NHS England to be scrapped as role returns to government control

2025/03/14 17:00

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major shakeup of the country's public healthcare system by abolishing NHS England, the central body overseeing the National Health Service. On Thursday local time, Prime Minister Starmer unveiled plans to scrap NHS England and integrate its functions into the Department of Health and Social Care, aiming to streamline healthcare administration. NHS England was established in 2012 to grant the NHS operational independence and has 15,000 staff. While the restructuring aims to eliminate bureaucratic repetition and redirect resources to frontline services, the announcement was met with mixed reactions, with the British Medical Association endorsing the move, hoping that it will improve staff retention and patient outcomes and the UK's largest healthcare union, Unison, voiced concerns over potential job losses. The European Union and South Africa convened their first bilateral summit in 7 years on Thursday to strengthen economic and strategic ties. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town for the 8th EU-South Africa summit, where the EU announced a substantial investment package, to support South Africa's development initiatives. They included a commitment to an investment package worth 5.1 billion U.S. dollars, to be allocated to key sectors, such as energy, and healthcare. The summit also addressed the broader geopolitical context, particularly the escalating trade tensions with the U.S., including President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose a 200% tariff on European alcohol. In Italy, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck a region near Naples in the early hours of Thursday local time with at least 11 people treated for minor injuries. The quake's epicenter was near the coastal town of Pozzuoli, west of Naples, occurring around 1:25 A.M. The earthquake caused minor structural damage, including cracks in buildings and the collapse of facades. This was the strongest tremor in the area in 40 years. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely. An American influencer in Australia is receiving scrutiny, after she posted a video of herself removing a baby wombat from its mother, causing public outrage and prompting Australian authorities to review her visa status. The video, now deleted from her social media, shows Sam Jones picking up the baby wombat at night while its distressed mother chases after her. Wildlife experts criticized the act as potentially harmful and illegal, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Australia's Home Affairs department is reviewing the conditions of Jones' visa, to determine if immigration laws were breached. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Putin agrees with proposed 30-day ceasefire plan; Zelenskyy calls response deceptive

2025/03/14 17:00

In other news. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cast doubt on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's latest remarks about supporting the U.S.-proposed ceasefire. Our Choi Soo-young explains starting with Mr. Putin's words. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed in principle with the U.S.' proposed 30-day Ukraine ceasefire plan, but further terms and details need to be worked out. "We agree with the proposals to stop hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this ceasefire should be such that it would lead to long-term peace and eliminate the original roots of this crisis." On Thursday, at a news conference in Moscow, he said the idea was correct and he supported it, but he needs to discuss it with U.S. President Donald Trump, referring to him as "our American partner." Putin added that Ukraine would need to accept future conditions before the ceasefire agreement could be reached. He said that a decision should be made on how to handle isolated Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, one of the areas of contention, which he claimed Russia had regained full control of. He also stated that the ceasefire must be ensured, as Ukraine might use the period to secure more troops and supplies of weapons. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Putin is tactically preparing to reject the ceasefire deal. Zelenskyy said Putin is the one who will make the situation worse. "We have all just heard very predictable and highly manipulative words from Russia in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front. We do not set conditions that complicate things; Russia does. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day by day." He criticized Putin's response as deceptive, stating that the Russian leader was effectively refusing to accept the ceasefire proposal but responded in this way because he was afraid to tell the U.S. that he wanted to continue the war. Putin is expected to discuss the Ukraine conflict and ceasefire with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Moscow. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

Trump reaffirms ties with Kim Jong-un; Seoul stresses denuclearization

2025/03/14 17:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power yet again while touting his close ties with Kim Jong-un . Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil covers his latest remarks and the response from South Korea's Unification Ministry. U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed confidence in his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "I had a great relationship with Kim Jong-un, North Korea. If I wasn't elected, if Hillary got in, you would have had a nuclear war with North Korea." Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday, Trump emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue, referring to North Korea as a "nuclear power," a recognition with significant diplomatic implications. In response, a spokesperson from the South Korean Ministry of Unification reaffirmed the nation's unwavering commitment to North Korea's denuclearization. "North Korea's denuclearization remains a steadfast principle upheld by South Korea, the U.S., and the international community. Our government will continue to strengthen close cooperation with the new U.S. administration to achieve this objective." Trump also reflected on how his diplomatic efforts, including several meetings with Kim Jong-un during his first term, contributed to the success of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. "The meeting caused the Olympics, which was in South Korea, to become a tremendous success. Nobody was buying tickets for the Olympics because they didn't want to be nuked. And I met (with Kim) and not only did the Olympics become successful, but North Korea participated in the Olympics." However, the first U.S.-North Korea summit took place in June 2018, four months after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics concluded, in February. While discussions about renewed dialogue continue, experts suggest that priorities like trade tariffs may delay progress. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

Why the Constitutional Court is taking record time for President Yoon's impeachment verdict

2025/03/14 17:00

Contrary to initial expectations that President Yoon Suk Yeol's fate would be decided on this Friday it appears that the Constitutional Court is taking quite some time deliberating on his impeachment trial. Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the latest. With no verdict this week, President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial will stretch on past the three-month mark, as the Constitutional Court continues to deliberate on the leader's fate following his December third martial law last year. The Court typically notifies parties to the trial of the ruling date at least two days in advance. However, no such notification has been given yet, meaning the decision will not be announced on Friday as widely expected, but by next week at the earliest. With a hearing scheduled Tuesday for the impeachment trial of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae in the afternoon, it seems likely Yoon's verdict would come later in the week at the earliest. As Saturday marks 91 days since the National Assembly passed a motion to remove President Yoon from power, Yoon's case will become the longest presidential impeachment trial in South Korea's history. Former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment ruling took 91 days after the motion was passed, while Roh Moo-hyun's took 64 days. "I'd say the longer-than-expected deliberation suggests internal discussions are more complex than anticipated. It seems the grounds for impeachment are clear and it is hard to dispute the President's declaration of martial law was unconstitutional and unlawful but the justices must determine whether the constitutional violations are severe enough to warrant removal from office. There may be justices who argue that it does not meet the threshold for an impeachable offense." Since the trial hearings wrapped last month, the justices have been holding almost-daily deliberations to review each issue raised by both President Yoon and the National Assembly. At this stage, they are reportedly still in the process of organizing their views and exchanging opinions, as political and public pressure continues to grow both for and against Yoon's impeachment. Over 2.6 million petitions have been filed in support and opposition to his removal from office. "I think the court has a huge responsibility now and a huge burden the court needs to make the reasoning and adopt a judgment based on legal reasoning not any other consideration should be taken. But the court should also consider the environment and the status of the society where we are staying now. And that makes the task of the court very difficult, I believe but the court needs to stick to the basic fundamentals of law of the constitutional law." The Constitutional Court is also deliberating on the impeachment trial of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and is reportedly trying to decide the order in which the rulings for Han and President Yoon should be delivered. Both the National Assembly and Yoon's legal team have called for a swift ruling from the court. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Acting President Choi vetoes special probe into political broker and first couple

2025/03/14 17:00

Beyond the economy and onto the political front. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has vetoed a bill calling for a special probe into an obscure political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The veto was largely expected and came on this Friday at a Cabinet meeting during which Choi pointed out that Myung was already under investigation by the prosecution. Last month the main opposition Democratic Party unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving President Yoon Suk Yeol, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, and Myung.

EU announces US$ 5.1 bil. investment plan to support South Africa's development initiatives

2025/03/14 10:00

The European Union and South Africa convened their first bilateral summit in 7 years on Thursday to strengthen economic and strategic ties. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town for the 8th EU-South Africa summit, where the EU announced a substantial investment package, to support South Africa's development initiatives. They included a commitment to an investment package worth 5.1 billion U.S. dollars, to be allocated to key sectors, such as energy, and healthcare. The summit also addressed the broader geopolitical context, particularly the escalating trade tensions with the U.S., including President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose a 200% tariff on European alcohol.

NHS England to be scrapped as role returns to government control

2025/03/14 10:00

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major shakeup of the country's public healthcare system by abolishing NHS England, the central body overseeing the National Health Service. On Thursday local time, Prime Minister Starmer unveiled plans to scrap NHS England and integrate its 기능 into the Department of Health and Social Care, aiming to streamline healthcare administration. NHS England was established in 2012 to grant the NHS operational independence and has 15,000 staff. While the restructuring aims to eliminate bureaucratic repetition and redirect resources to frontline services, the announcement was met with mixed reactions, with the British Medical Association endorsing the move, hoping that it will improve staff retention and patient outcomes and the UK's largest healthcare union, Unison, voiced concerns over potential job losses.

On-point: When will Constitutional Court rule on the impeachment of President Yoon?

2025/03/14 10:00

The Constitutional Court has ruled against the impeachments of four officials, including the head of the nation's audit agency and three top prosecutors here in Seoul ahead of the much-anticipated verdict that will decide the president's political fate. For more on this, we turn to Professor Paik Eun-seok from Handong International Law School. Thank you for joining us this morning. 1. The court has dismissed the parliament's motions to impeach four state officials. 2. Initially, it was widely believed that an impeachment ruling for the president would be made this week, but it appears to have been pushed back. 3. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also awaits the court's decision, after the National Assembly voted to impeach him. 4. Back in 2017, during former President Park Geun-hye's case, the Constitutional Court justices unanimously approved the parliament's motion to impeach her. 5. The Constitutional Court is currently one short of its full nine-member bench. Alright Professor Paik. Thank you so much for connecting with us. We appreciate it.

Why the Constitutional Court is taking record time for President Yoon's impeachment verdict

2025/03/14 10:00

President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict is taking longer than expected. The Court was initially expected to deliver its ruling today but it seems the deliberation is more complex than what most observers anticipated. Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the details. With no verdict this week, President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial will stretch on past the three-month mark, as the Constitutional Court continues to deliberate on the leader's fate following his December third martial law last year. The Court typically notifies parties to the trial of the ruling date at least two days in advance. However, no such notification has been given yet, meaning the decision will not be announced on Friday as widely expected, but by next week at the earliest. With a hearing scheduled Tuesday for the impeachment trial of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae in the afternoon, it seems likely Yoon's verdict would come later in the week. "As political and public pressure both for and against Yoon's impeachment become more fervent by the day, particularly after his release from detention, the judicial bench appears to be moving more cautiously to deliver a broadly acceptable decision to a highly polarized society. More than 2-point-6 million petitions, both supporting and opposing Yoon’s impeachment, have been submitted to the Court." As Saturday marks 91 days since the National Assembly passed a motion to remove President Yoon from power, Yoon's case will become the longest presidential impeachment trial in South Korea's history. Former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment ruling took 91 days after the motion was passed, while Roh Moo-hyun’s took 64 days. "I'd say the longer-than-expected deliberation suggests internal discussions are more complex than anticipated. It seems the grounds for impeachment are clear and it is hard to dispute the President's declaration of martial law was unconstitutional and unlawful but the justices must determine whether the constitutional violations are severe enough to warrant removal from office. There may be justices who argue that it does not meet the threshold for an impeachable offense." Since the trial hearings wrapped last month, the justices have been holding almost-daily deliberations to review each issue raised by both President Yoon and the National Assembly. At this stage, they are reportedly still in the process of organizing their views and exchanging opinions. "They know that this is going to be in the history books. So I think they really want to make sure that all the reasoning is absolutely watertight. I think they are really trying to do their utmost to avoid having a split judgment or even a minority judgment." The Constitutional Court is also deliberating on the impeachment trial of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and is reportedly trying to decide the order in which the rulings for Han and President Yoon should be delivered. Both the National Assembly and Yoon’s legal team have called for a swift ruling from the court. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Putin supports Trump's push for 30-day ceasefire, but says there are "issues" to discuss

2025/03/14 10:00

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agrees with the U.S.' proposed 30-day Ukraine ceasefire plan,.. but insisted that Ukraine would need to accept further conditions before a full agreement could be reached. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday, he said he supports the idea, but said there are issues to discuss, hinting that he may have a call with Trump. Putin said one of the areas of contention is Russia's Kursk region, of which he said Russia had regained full control, adding that Ukrainian troops in the region had been isolated.

Trump says he has 'great' relationship with Kim Jong-un, calls N. Korea 'nuclear power'

2025/03/14 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has a "great" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while also describing the reclusive state as a "nuclear power." Trump reiterated his willingness to reengage talks with the regime's leader. Lee Seung-jae has more. U.S. President Donald Trump says he still has a "great" relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, adding that the two "got along great" during his first term in office. During a press conference at the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump also said that had he not been elected for his first term there would have been a nuclear war with North Korea. "Well, I would I had a great relationship with Kim Jong-un, North Korea. If I wasn't elected, If Hillary got in, you would have had a nuclear war with North Korea. He expected it. He expected it. And they said, 'oh, thousands of people, no millions of people would have been killed.' But I got in. We went to Singapore, we met, we went to Vietnam, we met, we got along really good. We had a very good relationship. And we still do." Trump also referred to Kim and his regime as a "nuclear power," a term U.S. officials had mostly refrained from publicly using. It's also not the first time the U.S. leader has used the term to describe the reclusive state, using the term to refer to North Korea shortly after his inauguration on January 20th. Trump also stressed his desire to bring down the number of nuclear weapons in the world, while pointing out Pyongyang's sizable nuclear stockpile. Despite having met Kim after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Trump also credited the success of the sporting event to his relations with the North Korean leader, saying that no one wanted to buy tickets to the Olympics, for fear of being "nuked." Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Trump announces U.S. will hit back against EU's retaliatory tariffs on U.S., escalating trade war

2025/03/14 10:00

Donald Trump announced plans on Thursday to set additional tariffs on EU alcohol products in retaliation for the EU's upcoming tariffs on the U.S., starting in April. Meanwhile, South Korean trade officials are in the U.S. for talks to minimize the impact of the ongoing tariff war. Our Park Kun-woo has the latest. The U.S.-led trade war is intensifying as President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would not reconsider reciprocal tariffs set to be imposed on April 2nd. "We've been ripped off for years and we're not going to be ripped off anymore. Aluminum or steel or cars. We're not going to bend." Trump also uploaded a post on social media, threatening that he would soon impose a 200 percent tariff on alcohol products "coming out of France and other EU-represented countries" saying that would be great for U.S. wine and champagne businesses. That's in response to plans announced by the European Commission on Wednesday to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods worth 28 billion U.S. dollars, including a 50 percent tariff on whiskey from April. This came after the U.S. started imposing a 25-percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from Wednesday. EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, during a visit to South Africa, said on Thursday the EU would defend its interests while adding that it is also open to negotiations. She also said the bloc's trade commissioner plans to speak with his U.S. counterpart on related issues over the phone on Friday. And, with the trade war intensifying trade officials from South Korea visited Washington to discuss tariff issues. "If we're taking an exam, there must be some grading criteria. We need to first understand that criteria, and based on that, we should quickly correct any mistakes and need to persuade them on the points where we can." He added that they plan to request reciprocal measures to minimize the impact of the upcoming U.S. reciprocal tariffs. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

President Trump says he has 'flexibility' on tariffs, rejects claims of inconsistency

2025/03/13 20:00

U.S. President Donald Trump is challenging claims of inconsistency with regard to his tariff policy, calling his approach "flexible." Meantime, the EU and Canada hit back at the U.S. with their own retaliatory tariffs. Lee Seung-jae has the latest. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday stressed that April 2nd will be a "very big day" for the United States. as his reciprocal tariffs go into effect. Trump slammed the previous administration for America's losses in trade., but said the U.S. will "take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries." However, Trump also noted that he has shown "flexibility" on his tariff policy, rejecting claims that his policy implementation has been inconsistent, as seen through his on-and-off tariff impositions on Canada and Mexico. The U.S. leader also warned that once the tariffs go into effect, "there will be very little flexibility." Meanwhile,.. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday, that the European Union's new retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. came "too little too late." According to Greer, the EU's latest tariff on U.S. imports "completely disregards" the national security imperatives of the United States, adding that the bloc's trade and economic policies are "out of step with reality." The comments come as the EU announced it will respond to Trump's 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, by imposing its own tariffs on U.S. goods worth over 28 billion U.S. dollars, set to take effect on April 13. Canada also announced its own retaliatory tariffs on nearly 30 billion dollars worth of U.S. imports,.. after the 25 percent steel and aluminum tariffs went into effect on Wednesday. Canada says it will follow a "dollar-by-dollar" approach, and impose 25-percent tariffs on U.S. imports, including steel, computers, and sports equipment. Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her country will wait until April 2nd to decide whether to respond to the steel and aluminum tariffs. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Acting President says "more balanced and mutually beneficial" relationship with U.S. on trade possible

2025/03/13 20:00

Acting President Choi Sang-mok has shared hopes to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump about tariffs and Korea's trade surplus with the U.S. which he believes is simply a "temporary phenomenon." Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in an interview published this past Wednesday, Choi emphasized that the surplus is a result of Korean conglomerates including Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor expanding their direct investments into the U.S. He also spoke of Korea sharing its expertise in shipbuilding with the U.S., to assist the latter in strengthening its own naval industry. He maintained that the two countries can work towards a "more balanced and mutually beneficial" trade relationship.