Seoul-Washington trade tensions cloud US security delegation’s planned visit

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, left, speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting at the State Department in Washington, Feb. 3 (local time). AFP-Yonhap

Korea's tariff deadlock with the United States is raising concerns in Seoul over potential spillover into security negotiations with its key ally, including talks on nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear-related issues.

Analysts say that if the trade impasse persists, it could even lead to the cancellation of a U.S. government delegation's planned Seoul visit for high-level security consultations.

These concerns began on Jan. 27, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to raise tariffs on Korean products from 15 percent to 25 percent, accusing the National Assembly of delaying passage of a bill required to implement a bilateral tariff agreement finalized last November.

Since then, top Seoul officials, including Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, made urgent visits to Washington to assure Seoul's commitment to the agreement and prevent the tariff hike — attempts that have yet to produce a tangible outcome. Adding to the pressure, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Cho that Washington would impose a 25 percent tariff if Korea fails to address nontariff barriers.

The situation has raised concerns that the friction in trade could affect security issues as the two sides enter discussions. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a U.S. government delegation is considering a visit to Seoul in late February or early March to discuss pending security issues.

The two main items on the security agenda are Korea's pursuit of nuclear submarines and expanded rights over uranium enrichment and reprocessing of spent fuel, both of which were agreed upon during last October's summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Trump.

"The trade negotiations are inseparable from the security talks, and this is part of Washington's strategy," Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Times.

From the outset, Washington approached the negotiations as a single package, linking economic and security issues rather than treating them as separate tracks, Cho said.

"In that framework, the U.S., which holds a clear upper hand in security cooperation, is likely to use that advantage as leverage in trade talks," he added. "Given the Trump administration's approach to negotiations, it wouldn't be surprising if the U.S. delegation were to cancel its planned visit at the last minute should trade talks fail to make progress by then."

Min Jeong-hun, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the broader negotiations have highlighted differing priorities between the two allies.

"Throughout the series of trade and security negotiations that have been underway since last year, it has been evident that security has been Korea's priority, while trade has been Washington's," Min said. "When progress stalls in trade, it makes it more difficult to advance discussions on security."

Rim Kap-soo, center, government representative for Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation, poses during the inaugural meeting of a government task force on nuclear energy negotiations with the United States, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Seoul, Jan. 9. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The foreign ministry downplayed concerns that trade tensions would spill over into security matters, saying that various efforts to accelerate implementation of Seoul's investment commitments could help ease strains.

On Monday, the National Assembly established a special committee to oversee legislation implementing Korea’s investment pledges to the United States. The finance ministry said Tuesday that it would set up a system to conduct preliminary reviews of U.S.-bound investment projects before the legislation takes effect.

"If our efforts are conveyed clearly to the U.S. and foster a positive atmosphere for negotiations, it would also benefit discussions in the security field," a ministry official said.

Meanwhile, some point out the complexities in the security consultations themselves. It has not yet been decided whether nuclear submarines and spent fuel reprocessing will be addressed together or divided into multiple tracks.

On Korea's side, the government has formed separate task forces — one led by the defense ministry to handle nuclear submarine issues, and another led by the foreign ministry to oversee nuclear energy cooperation.

The U.S. delegation is expected to include officials from across the government, including the National Security Council, the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.