{"id":2209146,"date":"2025-04-14T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T23:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2209146"},"modified":"2025-04-13T23:51:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T14:51:49","slug":"south-korea-deepens-indo-pacific-ties-as-us-signals-more-tariff-shifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/04\/south-korea-deepens-indo-pacific-ties-as-us-signals-more-tariff-shifts\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea deepens Indo-Pacific ties as US signals more tariff shifts"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s finance ministry <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> Sunday that finance minister Choi Sang-mok held a video conference with his Australian counterpart, Jim Chalmers, to discuss global economic volatility and supply chain resilience. The two officials shared concerns over rising trade tensions and agreed to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals, energy security and financial stability. Both sides pledged to coordinate positions through multilateral forums including the G20.<\/span><\/p>\n Separately, South Korea\u2019s foreign ministry <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> that foreign minister Cho Tae-yul will travel to Vietnam from April 15 to 17 to attend the 4th P4G Summit and hold high-level talks with Vietnamese officials. Cho is expected to co-chair the second ROK\u2013Vietnam foreign ministers\u2019 dialogue and meet with local Korean business leaders. The trip follows Vietnam\u2019s participation in South Korea\u2019s previous P4G summit and builds on the strategic partnership outlined during former President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s <\/span>state visit<\/span><\/a> in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s diplomatic outreach comes as U.S. trade policy remains volatile. While the Trump administration\u2019s Friday <\/span>announcement<\/span><\/a> exempted smartphones, semiconductors and other electronics under HS code 8471 from its sweeping reciprocal tariffs, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> Sunday that those same products could face new duties within \u201ca month or two.\u201d Washington\u2019s inability to articulate a cohesive trade message indicates that South Korean companies will likely continue to operate under the assumption that disruption to global supply chains will be a consistent feature.<\/span><\/p>\n Australia remains central to Seoul\u2019s supply chain diversification strategy. South Korea increasingly <\/span>depends<\/span><\/a> on Australia for critical inputs such as lithium, rare earth elements and energy commodities \u2014 materials essential to electric vehicle and battery production. Deepening resource cooperation also aligns with South Korea\u2019s carbon neutrality goals and efforts to reduce vulnerability to Chinese supply shocks. Canberra, for its part, is eager to solidify regional ties as the U.S. and China engage in an <\/span>all-out trade war<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Vietnam is no less strategic. The country hosts extensive South Korean investment in tech manufacturing and assembly \u2014 particularly in semiconductors, displays and electronics. While the U.S. paused its <\/span>46% reciprocal tariffs<\/span><\/a> on Vietnamese goods last week, Washington\u2019s inconsistent signaling has kept risk levels high.<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time as foreign minister Cho Tae-yul\u2019s visit to Hanoi, Chinese leader Xi Jinping is <\/span>scheduled to visit<\/span><\/a> Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, offering Beijing a chance to contrast its steadier trade posture with Washington\u2019s erratic approach. For Seoul, sustained engagement with partners like Australia and Vietnam is both a hedge against uncertainty and a chance to assert influence in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.<\/span><\/p>\n