White House flips, sets Korea's tariff rate at 25%, not 26%

The White House once again changed its mind and fixed the rate for Korea's reciprocal tariffs to 25 percent from 26 percent Thursday, this time officially revising the number in the annex to the executive order.

Left, the chart U.S. President Donald Trump was holding during the tariff announcement says Korea was subject to a 25 percent, and right, the annex of the executive order released by the White House said it was 26 percent. Now, the rate in the annex has been corrected to 25 percent. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The White House once again changed its mind and set Korea's reciprocal tariff rate at 25 percent on Thursday, officially revising the number down from the 26 percent written in the executive order's annex.

The annex's 26 percent contradicted the chart that U.S. President Donald Trump held during his White House announcement, which read 25 percent. The White House posted the same chart to its official X account.

Immediately after the announcement, the White House told Korea's Yonhap News Agency that 26 percent was correct.

However, on Thursday, the White House corrected the rate in the annex and notified the U.S. Embassy in Seoul of the revision.

The White House reportedly said that President Trump's 25 percent was the correct rate, without explaining the frequent changes.

Other countries subjected to tariff rates that differed from Trump's address also received corrected rates in the latest annex.

Initially, the annex said India would be subject to a reciprocal tariff of 27 percent, while Trump said 26 percent in his speech. Switzerland was listed at 31 percent on Trump's chart and 32 percent on the annex, while the Philippines was given a 17 percent rate in Trump's speech and 18 percent in the annex.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]