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2025-09-19 10:48:13
[US-South Korea trade talks stalled over auto tariffs and visas] South Korea's top trade negotiator said the country is continuing consultations with the United States on contentious issues such as visa restrictions and auto tariffs. These issues are crucial to the economic interests of both sides as Seoul strives to ease friction with Washington. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told reporters upon arriving in Incheon on Friday that he had just returned from Washington, where he met with U.S. Trade Representative Greer and key members of Congress to promote progress in the negotiations. Yeo said he had urged the United States to quickly resolve the visa issue for South Korean workers. Earlier this month, more than 300 South Korean employees were detained at a battery factory under construction in Georgia. The workers were released and returned home last week, but the immigration enforcement action has exacerbated tensions between the two countries and cast a shadow over the future of major investment commitments made by South Korea in July under the new trade agreement. The broad agreement stipulates a 15% tariff on South Korean goods, a commitment reiterated by the two leaders at a White House summit last month. However, reaching a final agreement remains difficult due to differences between the two sides on how to structure and implement the $350 billion investment plan, which is the core of the agreement.
