Acting President and PM Han pledges to leverage all his experience in dealing with U.S. tariffs

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Mar 252025

한대행 "미국발 관세폭풍 헤쳐 나가는데 모든 역량 다할 것" Here in Korea. Acting President Han Duck-soo has reaffirmed the government's priority on protecting national interests amid mounting concerns over a global trade war. Our correspondent Kim Do-yeon covers his remarks. In his first Cabinet meeting since returning from suspension Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday acknowledged the challenges facing the nation — from a global trade war sparked by U.S. tariffs to growing pressures on small business owners and the cost of living. He emphasized the need for all-out effort from everyone as well as cooperation with the National Assembly amid the fierce stand-off between the main rival parties. “Fellow Cabinet members, our calling at this moment is to protect the safety of our people, safeguard our national interests amid the ongoing trade war, and swiftly devise solutions to urgent national issues through cooperation with the National Assembly.” He also pledged to leverage his experience of which he has more than 50 years in public service related to trade and foreign affairs to protect Korea’s interests, especially in the face of what he called a “tariff storm," started from the U.S. He called on the members of the Cabinet to do the same and to make sure that the citizens can feel the efforts made by the government. “I ask each Cabinet member to exercise full authority and responsibility in implementing their respective policies in a timely manner. I also urge you to communicate actively with the public, providing clear and transparent explanations throughout the process and on the outcomes.” This comes as for nearly the past three months South Korea had both its president and prime minister suspended with the deputy prime minister for finance in control of the government. With the Prime Minister's comeback as the acting president, the South Korean government can be seen as more stabilized and a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place. In fact, he held a meeting that followed the Cabinet meeting with ministers related to trade as his office says that Han was taking on the U.S.-related matters himself. There, the Acting President announced a restructuring of the existing "External Economic Issues Meeting"—which had been chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister for Finance—into the "Economic Security Strategy Task Force," which he will personally lead. According to the Acting President's office, the move aims to strengthen the government's ability to respond to growing external uncertainties, including the U.S. administration’s tariff policies, and to enhance coordination between trade and security issues. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #UnitedStates #Acting_President #HanDucksoo #Trade #Tariff #대한민국 #미국 #권한대행 #한덕수 #관세 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : / arirangtvnews 📣 Twitter : / arirangtvnews 📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/ 2025-03-25, 17:00 (KST)