PM arrives in Washington for talks with US officials, potentially including Vance

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok arrives at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 in Incheon, Thursday, on his way to the United States to discuss pending issues between South Korea and the United States. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok kicked off his visit to the United States on Thursday for talks with Washington officials, possibly including Vice President JD Vance, as Seoul seeks to address a range of trade issues, including anticipated U.S. semiconductor tariffs.

Kim arrived at Dulles International Airport near the U.S. capital in the morning, marking his first overseas trip as prime minister and the first standalone trip to the U.S. by a South Korean premier since the Asian country's democratization in the late 1980s.

During his five-day visit, which includes a trip to New York, Kim plans to meet with government officials, lawmakers and Korean residents. Talks have been under way to arrange a meeting with Vance.

His trip came after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned recently that memory chipmakers could be subject to new tariffs if they do not increase their manufacturing capacity in the U.S -- remarks that have put pressure on South Korean companies.

A U.S. official has also told Yonhap News Agency that the Trump administration would seek "separate" agreements on semiconductor tariffs for individual countries.

During talks with U.S. officials, the prime minister could also discuss the implementation of a bilateral trade and investment deal, under which Seoul has committed to investing US$350 billion in the U.S., among other commitments, in return for Washington lowering "reciprocal" tariffs on Korean goods to 15 percent from 25 percent.