S. Korean ministers to meet US counterparts in final push on trade

Finance, foreign ministers to meet US Treasury, State secretaries next week before Aug. 1 deadline

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol (from left), Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung, and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan attend the ministerial meeting on foreign economic affairs at the government complex in Seoul on July 22, 2025. /News1

South Korea is intensifying its push to resolve trade tensions with the United States ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline, with key ministerial-level meetings scheduled to take place in Washington in the coming week.

According to the presidential office on July 26, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will each meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio within the four days leading up to the deadline. With minister-level talks underway, attention is focused on whether the two sides can make progress on trade.

Presidential Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom (left) and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac hold a briefing on the trade strategy meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff at the presidential office building in Seoul on July 25, 2025. /News1

Presidential Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac held an emergency meeting on the same day to review the status of trade talks with the U.S. and coordinate response plans.

The meeting included Deputy Prime Minister Koo, Foreign Minister Cho, Policy Coordination Minister Yoon Chang-ryeol, and First Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Shin-hak. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, currently negotiating in the U.S., joined via video conference. Senior presidential aides such as Economic Secretary Ha Joon-kyung and thrid Deputy National Security Director Oh Hyun-joo also attended.

During the meeting, Minister Kim reported on his talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. According to the presidential office, the two sides discussed shipbuilding cooperation and agreed to work toward a deal in that sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Koo and Foreign Minister Cho are set to continue discussions next week in separate meetings with Treasury Secretary Bessent and Secretary of State Rubio. The government said it is making a full push to reach an agreement with the U.S. by Aug. 1.

Meanwhile, Kim wrapped up two days of negotiations with Lutnick. They held the second round of talks at the secretary’s residence in New York, following an 80-minute high-level meeting the day before in Washington, D.C. The second session reportedly ended late at night.

During the talks, Kim made new proposals on key issues such as U.S. investment and expanded imports of American rice and beef. These proposals were based on discussions from an emergency trade meeting led by Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik the day before.