South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok arrived in Washington on January 23 for talks with US officials on trade issues, including anticipated semiconductor tariffs. This marks his first overseas trip as prime minister. A meeting with Vice President JD Vance is potentially on the agenda.
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok began his five-day visit to the United States on January 23 by arriving at Dulles International Airport near Washington in the morning. This is his first overseas trip since becoming prime minister and the first standalone US visit by a South Korean premier since the country's democratization in the late 1980s. During the itinerary, which includes a stop in New York, he plans to meet US government officials, lawmakers, and Korean residents in the US. Arrangements are underway for a potential meeting with Vice President JD Vance. The trip follows recent warnings from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that memory chipmakers could face new tariffs unless they expand manufacturing capacity in the US, putting pressure on South Korean firms. A US official told Yonhap News Agency that the Trump administration intends to pursue separate agreements on semiconductor tariffs for individual countries. Discussions with US officials may also cover the implementation of a bilateral trade and investment deal, under which Seoul has pledged $350 billion in US investments in exchange for Washington reducing reciprocal tariffs on Korean goods from 25% to 15%. Kim is scheduled to return home on Monday.
