South Korea's minister visits US to discuss trade issues

South Korea's industry minister will travel to Washington, DC this week. He plans to meet with US officials to address concerns about South Korea being placed on a US watchlist. The designation as a "sensitive country" has raised issues in Seoul. This list includes countries like China, Iran, and North Korea. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun aims to discuss ways to resolve this designation quickly. South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Ta-yul described Ahn's visit as a key opportunity to persuade the US to reconsider its decision. Joseph Yun, the acting US ambassador in Seoul, explained that South Korea was added to the watchlist due to mishandling of sensitive information in US energy labs. Ahn will meet with US commerce and energy secretaries to highlight South Korea's investments in the US, seeking fair treatment on trade issues. Upcoming reciprocal tariffs are set to take effect on April 2. Recently, South Korea's trade minister also visited Washington, advocating for an exemption from these tariff measures.