SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed tariffs, investment and forex policy in a video call, South Korea’s finance ministry said on Friday.
Choi asked Bessent to pay attention to South Korea’s contributions to the U.S. economy in Washington’s policymaking, the ministry said in a statement, amid growing concerns in Seoul about U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for sweeping tariffs.
South Korea is a major global exporter and top trading partner with the United States. Last week, a delegation of South Korean officials requested an exemption from U.S. reciprocal, steel and aluminium tariffs during a visit to Washington.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Ed Davies)