South Korea Fights for Fair Trade Treatment in Washington

South Korea's industry minister, Ahn Duk-geun, heads to Washington, D.C., aiming to remove the country from a U.S. 'sensitive country' watchlist. Concerns about fair tariff treatments and mishandled sensitive information are key discussion points. Ahn will meet top U.S. officials, advocating for equitable trade provisions.

South Korea's industry minister, Ahn Duk-geun, is set to visit Washington, D.C. this week to address concerns over being included on a U.S. watchlist and to seek improvements in tariff treatments, the industry ministry announced on Wednesday.

The designation of South Korea as a 'sensitive country' by the U.S. Department of Energy has caused a stir in Seoul. This places South Korea on a low-tier watchlist alongside nations like China, Iran, and North Korea. Minister Ahn aims to expedite a resolution regarding this designation during his visit.

This visit represents a crucial opportunity, as Foreign Minister Cho Ta-yul emphasized while fielding questions from lawmakers. Joseph Yun, acting U.S. ambassador in Seoul, highlighted that South Korea's addition to the list was due to mishandlings of sensitive data. Ahn will advocate for fair trade practices before reciprocal tariffs take effect on April 2.

(With inputs from agencies.)