North Korea condemns Rubio’s ‘rogue state’ remark

As U.S. President Donald Trump initiates a "trade war without gunfire," South Korea's first economic delegation under the new U.S. administration will officially visit the U.S. this month. The delegation, which is comprised of major business groups in South Korea, will primarily discuss business cooperation between the two countries and strategies to respond to U.S. trade policies.

According to the South Korean business community on Monday, the delegation – led by Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of SK Group – will visit Washington, D.C., from February 19 through 20. The delegation will include the heads or executives of South Korea's top 20 business groups, and they are scheduled to meet with key figures from the U.S. political and economic sectors.

The delegation is also reportedly seeking a meeting with President Trump on February 20. If the meeting takes place, it will mark the first official encounter between South Korean business leaders and the Trump administration in its second term. High-level meetings with officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of Commerce, which oversee the Trump administration's tariff policies, are also planned.

Meanwhile, the South Korean Presidential Office held a senior secretary meeting on Monday, presided over by Chief of Presidential Secretary Chung Jin-suk, to analyze trends in U.S. tariff measures against Mexico, Canada, and China and to discuss future plans. "Although there has been no specific mention of tariffs on South Korea so far, we are preparing for all possibilities with heightened vigilance," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated. "We will discuss countermeasures with countries in similar positions."


고도예 기자 yea@donga.com