US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of 25 per cent tariffs on imports from key trade partners including South Korea and Japan has been viewed less as a final blow and more as a high-stakes bargaining tactic.
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The move highlights Trump’s preference for brinkmanship-style deal-making and leaves room for diplomacy, as Seoul races to craft its response ahead of the new August 1 deadline, according to analysts.
South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers on Tuesday after Trump’s letter to President Lee Jae-myung formally notified the Lee administration of the planned tariffs.
The new date marks a three-week extension beyond the previously expected implementation of Washington’s tariffs on July 10, originally set after a 90-day pause.
The South Korean industry ministry has vowed to pursue a “mutually beneficial” agreement during the extended window.
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Officials signalled plans to revise domestic regulations and enhance cooperation in strategic sectors such as shipbuilding and semiconductors as part of broader efforts to support a “manufacturing renaissance” in both countries.