Updated : 2026-01-27 22:15:22 KST
South Korea woke up today to a shockwave that was felt across the government, businesses, as well as the National Assembly, after U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korean imports will again face 25-percent tariffs. Our Kim Do-yeon starts us off. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday morning, Korea Standard Time, that he was unilaterally reversing a tariff reduction agreement made last July, raising rates on certain South Korean goods from 15 to 25 percent.
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wake up to …을 알아차리다; ~을 의식하게[깨닫게] 되다
shockwave 충격파
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Writing on Truth Social, Trump explicitly blamed the National Assembly, stating: "South Korea's Legislature is not living up to its Deal." He declared that due to the legislative delay, he was "increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS." Under the agreement, Seoul pledged a 350-billion-dollar investment package, but the initial 20-billion-dollar installment has stalled. With the large amount of investment agreed, the Assembly has proposed a special bill for this investment, but has not made progress since the proposal, with no passage in sight for now.
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explicitly 명백하게, 노골적으로
installment 분할 불입(의 1회분)
stall 교착 상태에 빠뜨리다, 지연시키다; 교착 상태에 빠지다, 지연되다
in sight 보이는 곳에
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The TruthSocial post wasn't the first warning it turns out. Local media reported that just two weeks ago, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires James Heller sent a formal letter to Deputy Prime Minister for Science Bae Kyung-hoon, demanding Seoul honor the "Joint Fact Sheet" signed last year. This also comes as just last week, South Korea's finance minister told Reuters: "Not a lot of investment can be made under the current foreign exchange situation, at least for this year." Experts see this as one of the triggering factors for the timing, especially with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Trump's tariffs coming up.
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honor (합의·약속을) 지키다
triggering factor 촉발요인
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"Trump argues that if the Supreme Court rules the tariffs unconstitutional, the U.S. would be forced to issue massive refunds to trading partners like Japan and Europe. This is not just the tariffs imposed but also the investment packages, and it's a scenario he claims would be economically damaging." Amid rising tensions with European nations over Greenland and the U.S.'s continued push and pull with Canada, Trump is also likely using Korea to send a warning message to other partners.
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"I believe there is a significant aspect of sending a signal to other countries as well. It conveys the message 'we are watching,' and warns them to implement terms faithfully and swiftly." There is also a political dimension. Facing headwinds ahead of the midterms — particularly regarding immigration controversies in Minnesota — President Trump may be seeking a political win. However, analysts caution that this is likely a secondary factor compared to the stalled trade deal. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
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headwind 맞바람, 역풍
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영어 원문 출처 및 동영상 링크;
arirang news/Economy
https://m.arirang.com/news/view?id=292036