Korea likely among U.S. retaliatory tariff targets: WSJ

The United States is likely to include Korea in its retaliatory tariff regime, according to the Wall Street Journal, as the Donald Trump administration targets trade partners with a surplus with the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 7. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The United States may impose high retaliatory tariffs targeting specific countries including Korea as early as April 2, according to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, as the Donald Trump administration targets sectors like automobiles and semiconductors.

The Journal cited unnamed sources saying the administration is narrowing the scope of a new round of tariffs. While industry-specific measures on automobiles and semiconductors are not expected to be announced immediately, tariffs on key trade partners could take effect the same day they are announced.

Countries with large trade surpluses with the United States are likely to be targeted first, the report said. These nations are informally referred to as the “dirty 15,” a term used by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this month. While Bessent did not specify which countries fall into that category, the phrase is widely interpreted to refer to nations with significant trade imbalances with the United States.

Korea was named among the possible targets alongside the European Union, Japan, Canada, Mexico, China, India, Australia, Brazil, Russia and Vietnam. The report added that the scale of the tariffs could exceed anything seen in recent decades. According to U.S. Commerce Department data, Korea ranked eighth in terms of its trade surplus last year.

President Donald Trump tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on March 17. [AP/YONHAP]

The report said that the tariffs may be implemented under President Donald Trump's emergency economic powers, leaving little room for exemptions. Industry stakeholders who discussed the issue with the White House reportedly received no clear information on whether exceptions would be granted.

The president reinforced the likelihood of sweeping measures during remarks at the White House last week, suggesting limited flexibility. On social media, Trump called April 2 “Liberation Day,” underscoring his commitment to pressing ahead with the tariffs.

A Korean government source said officials are engaged in ongoing discussions with the United States but have yet to receive a definitive response about whether Korea will be included on the tariff list. The source added that the lack of leadership in Seoul has made it more difficult to respond to the rapidly evolving trade situation.

Concerns about Korea being sidelined in U.S. diplomacy have grown amid reports that top U.S. officials have visited neighboring countries but not Seoul. U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard recently visited Japan, Thailand, India and France without stopping in Korea. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also excluded Korea from an itinerary that took him to the Philippines and Japan.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who resumed his duties following a Constitutional Court ruling rejecting his impeachment, addressed the issue in a public statement on Monday. He pledged to mobilize all resources to protect Korea’s economic interests in what he called an escalating trade conflict.

A senior government official said Han’s return would bring some leadership stability but warned that Trump’s trade decisions have often been politically, rather than economically, driven. “Even close allies like Japan and Canada, which have engaged in leader-level talks with the United States, have not secured favorable outcomes,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President J.D. Vance, will visit Greenland on March 27 as part of a U.S. delegation. The group may include National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The visit has raised speculation that Washington is continuing to pursue geopolitical influence in the Arctic, amid Trump’s renewed interest in incorporating Greenland into U.S. territory.

Greenland officials reacted negatively to the visit. Prime Minister Múte B. Egede told local media that the only purpose of sending a high-ranking U.S. official was to project power. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the visit “cannot be separated” from Trump’s recent statements, adding that Copenhagen takes the issue seriously.

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Greenland. Earlier this month, he told Congress he would make Greenland rich and safe, and later told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that the island was essential to U.S. national security and should involve the alliance. Alongside our own comprehensive coverage, the Korea JoongAng Daily also uses generative AI to aid in the translation of JoongAng Ilbo articles. Everything we publish is written and edited by humans.

BY KANG TAE-HWA [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]