Trump threatens to raise tariffs on South Korea to 25 percent

US President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on South Korea to 25 percent. Trump made the warning in a post on Truth Social on Monday (January 26), local time, according to Al Jazeera. He essentially warned the East Asian country not to quickly ratify a trade deal with Washington.
Trump wrote, “The South Korean legislature is not abiding by the terms of the agreement with the United States. President Lee and I reached a great deal for both countries on July 30, 2025, and we reiterated these terms when I was in Korea on October 29, 2025. So why hasn’t the Korean legislature approved it?”
Meanwhile, Trump also alleged that the South Korean legislature is not abiding by the terms of the agreement with the United States.
The two countries reached a trade and security deal after a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul last year. Under the deal, the United States reduced tariffs on South Korean vehicles, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and other goods from 25 percent to 15 percent. The deal also said that South Korea would invest a total of $350 billion in several key U.S. sectors, such as semiconductors, shipbuilding and biotechnology.