Seoul, US lawmakers discuss economic ties amid tariff tensions

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, left, speaks with a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives during a meeting to discuss economic and trade cooperation between the two countries at the Westin Josun Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met Thursday with a bipartisan group from the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss ways to strengthen economic and trade ties, as Seoul navigates trade terms with Washington.

Yeo held talks at the Westin Josun Seoul with six members of the Congressional Study Group on Korea (CSGK), a bipartisan House caucus established in 2018 to bolster legislative ties between Washington and Seoul.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said the meeting was arranged to exchange views with key U.S. congressional figures on major pending issues and to explore ways to advance mutual cooperation.

The visiting delegation included Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Patrick Harrigan (R-NC).

Both sides agreed that the Seoul-Washington relationship has evolved well beyond its origins as a security alliance, expanding into substantive cooperation across economic and technological domains. The discussions covered current policy priorities in both countries and concrete measures to broaden bilateral trade and investments.

Yeo emphasized Korea’s efforts to deepen strategic cooperation with the United States, including the recent passage of a special U.S. investment act to implement last year’s tariff agreement, and called on the CSGK for support, the ministry said.

With about 80 bipartisan members, the CSGK organizes annual study tours and regular briefings, highlighting sustained U.S. congressional attention to the economic dimensions of the alliance amid trade uncertainty.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.