Presidential director for national policy Kim Yong‑beom said Sunday that the government made “practical progress on most key issues” during his talks in the United States after negotiating tariffs with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Kim told reporters upon his return at Incheon International Airport on Sunday afternoon that he "engaged in very serious and constructive negotiations," adding that "after the more than two‑hour official session, we had rich discussions over dinner."
He cautioned, however, that “some issues still require coordination” and pledged, “We will do our best to conclude the negotiations smoothly based on this outcome. We will produce results that serve the national interest.”
The possibility of finalizing the deal before the Korea-U.S. APEC meeting on Oct. 31 is "higher than before," according to Kim. “We reached significant agreement on most issues, but have one or two remaining points.”
"Our ministries will review in depth so we can present our position to the United States, and further negotiations are needed," he said.
Regarding the proposed $350 billion investment into the United States, the policy chief said, “I cannot detail individual issues or negotiations, but I note that the figure is agreed. We are closing in on a program that must remain within Korea’s manageable range and be mutually beneficial.”
He stressed that "the United States fully recognizes and understands the impact on Korea’s foreign exchange market," and that the delegation "achieved significant progress toward a mutually‑beneficial outcome Korea can sustain."
On questions about a currency swap deal, Kim responded, “The media mention of it also stems from discussions over foreign exchange market impact. Because each program links to the overall negotiations, specific terms or even the term ‘currency swap’ cannot be mentioned yet.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
'">
'">
'">
