Biden sends letter to Yoon to address concerns on IRA

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol received a letter from U.S. President Joe Biden, which says that the U.S. will continue to discuss with South Korea to ease concerns arising from the enforcement of the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. The act contains a potentially discriminatory measure against Korean-manufactured electric vehicles.

“President Yoon received an official letter signed by Mr. Biden regarding the U.S.’s IRA and the two nation’s alliance,” a senior official from President Yoon’s office stated during a briefing on Wednesday. According to the presidential office, Mr. Biden mentioned in the letter that Washington understands the concerns of President Yoon and that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will play a crucial role in realizing the shared goal of the two nations.

The official from the president’s office also mentioned that President Biden, the chief of the U.S. administration, clearly expressed his understanding of the concerns of South Korea regarding a bill which had passed their congress.”

“The letter was written based on IRA-related negotiations the two presidents had on several occasions, including the meetings in London and New York last month,” the president’s office said.


Su-Young Hong gaea@donga.com