Blue House: "Possible Additional US Tariffs, But Will Not Exceed Korea-US Tariff Agreement Rates"

Director Wi Sukrak Briefs on July 22
"No Request from the U.S. to Dispatch Warships"

The Blue House stated on the 22nd that regarding the so-called "Super Section 301" being pursued by the US government, "There may be additional tariffs." However, regarding the tariff rates, it added, "We understand that they will not exceed what has been agreed upon in the Korea-US tariff agreement."

Suh Seung-rak, Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, met with reporters at Chunchoo-Kwan that day and said, "The Section 301 issue is fundamentally related to matters such as forced labor or excess production, but it is subject to interpretation."

Suh Seung-rak, Director of the National Security Office, held a pre-briefing on the US and South America tour at the Blue House Chunchoo-Kwan press conference room on the 22nd. 2026.7.22 Yonhap News Agency

The US government is considering tariff measures known as Super Section 301. This refers to provisions specified in Section 301 of the Trade Act, which allow the US to impose retaliatory tariffs and other measures on countries engaged in unfair trade. The Trump Administration originally imposed a global reciprocal tariff of 10 percent, but after the US Supreme Court ruled it unlawful and thereby invalidated it, the "Super Section 301" has been reviewed as an alternative.

Regarding this, Director Suh explained, "If you look at the tariffs recently applied by the US to Canada, they're at 50 percent, but those are based on a different legal provision." He added, "There are cases where provisions that have hardly ever been applied are cited, so there may be several movements to impose tariffs in various ways." He further explained, "We are consulting with the US side and providing necessary responses and data."

Meanwhile, when asked whether there had been a request from the US to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Director Suh firmly denied it, saying, "There have not been any new requests from the United States recently." He said, "For a long time, the US has attempted to organize international coalitions to ensure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and we have responded to those efforts," and added, "There have not been any new developments."

He continued, "Because we are committed to making a substantial contribution, we are reviewing a variety of options. We are taking a comprehensive look at domestic legal procedures and policy aspects."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.