South Korea's Trade Negotiation Minister Jeong In-kyo met with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer on March 13 to 14 in Washington, D.C., seeking an exemption from reciprocal tariffs set to take effect on April 2. Jeong argued that South Korea should not face discriminatory treatment compared to other nations, emphasizing that the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement had already eliminated most tariffs between the two countries. He highlighted South Korea’s resolution of several non-tariff barriers under the FTA and called for continued dialogue on tariffs and trade issues.  

Jeong also met with U.S. Senator Andrew Kim and experts from the Hudson Institute and local law firms to discuss responses to U.S. trade policies and explore ways to strengthen industrial cooperation. He held a separate meeting with South Korean steel industry representatives to develop strategies to minimize the impact of the steel and aluminum tariffs imposed on March 12. Both sides agreed to continue discussions, but no concrete commitments were made.