S. Korea’s finance minister in Washington for high-level trade talks with U.S.

South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok arrived in Washington Tuesday for high-level trade talks with the United States this week, as the Asian country has been striving to avoid or minimize the impact of the Trump administration’s new or future tariffs.

Choi vowed to “do my best” upon arrival at an airport near the U.S. capital, as he and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun plan to meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for the “two plus two” trade consultations on Thursday.

The talks will come after U.S. President Donald Trump’s government started imposing country-specific “reciprocal” tariffs, including 25 percent duties on South Korea, on April 9, only to put a 90-day pause on the new tariffs hours later.

Speaking to the press, Choi underscored that he came to the U.S. to start discussions aimed at making the South Korea-U.S. alliance “more robust.”

“(I) will do my best,” he said at Dulles International Airport.

He added, “I will listen attentively to what the U.S. side is interested in, and plan to actively explain our position as well. As that will be helpful for both sides and enable us to expand the width of (mutual) understanding, I will make efforts toward that end.”

Choi, who doubles as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, is the highest-level Seoul official to visit the U.S. since Trump took office in January. While in Washington, he will also join the Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers’ meeting this week.

Observers said that the upcoming talks with Beseent and Greer could touch on a wide range of trade issues, including new U.S. tariffs and non-tariff barrier issues, such as South Korea’s import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months.

Other issues, including South Korea’s share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea, could also be put on the table as Trump has cast his negotiation approach as “one-stop shopping” — an expression that has raised the prospects of his administration using tariffs to address other bilateral issues.

The trade talks are set to take place at the Treasury Department near the White House, reducing the possibility that Trump could make a surprise visit to the meeting.

Last week, Trump showed up at trade talks with Japan, where Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa led the Japanese delegation. In a social media post later, Trump claimed “big progress” from the talks.