On March 23, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Ahn Duk-geun commented on the U.S. tariffs on automobiles, semiconductors, and other individual items, saying, “The U.S. side has not explicitly stated anything, but I expect that multiple tariffs, including reciprocal tariffs, will likely be announced together on April 2.”

Speaking with reporters at Incheon International Airport upon his return from a visit to the U.S., Ahn stated, “We are preparing for various scenarios,” indicating the government is bracing for potential trade restrictions.

With the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff measures set to take effect on Apr. 2, there is growing speculation that additional tariffs on specific items, such as automobiles and semiconductors, could be announced on the same day.

During his visit to Washington, D.C., from March 20 to 21 (local time), Ahn held consecutive meetings with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

He noted, “Regarding trade issues, I explained the various efforts South Korea has made across the government to address non-tariff barriers. On the tariff issue, there has been significant progress in correcting some of the previous misunderstandings.”

On whether South Korea could be exempted from the upcoming reciprocal tariffs, Ahn stated, “At this point, it is difficult to predict, but we will continue negotiations with the U.S. to minimize the negative impact on our industries.”

He also emphasized that his meeting with Secretary Wright resulted in an agreement to swiftly resolve the issue of “sensitive country” designations. “South Korea and the U.S. cooperate extensively in the energy industry and scientific technology sectors, and we both agreed that the sensitive country issue is an obstacle that must be resolved quickly. To address this, we have immediately begun working-level discussions and aim to reach a smooth resolution soon,” he said.

Regarding discussions on the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, Ahn stated, “The U.S. government also has a strong interest in the Alaska LNG project. With the governor of Alaska visiting South Korea the day after tomorrow, we plan to discuss the current situation in Alaska and explore potential areas for Korea-U.S. cooperation.”