With just over 10 days remaining until the Aug. 1 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for tariff negotiations, South Korea is facing increasing pressure. If no agreement is reached by then, a 25% reciprocal tariff will take effect, dealing a severe blow to Korean exporters. For Seoul, the best-case scenario is to secure a summit with Trump beforehand to resolve both the tariff dispute and U.S. troop cost-sharing in a single comprehensive deal.
However, South Korea’s national security adviser met with the U.S. Secretary of State on July 6 to request a summit but received no clear response. With Trump scheduled to visit Scotland at the end of the month, the window for talks is closing quickly. As the negotiation deadline nears, a South Korea-U.S. summit appears increasingly unlikely.
With presidential talks stalled, the government is turning to ministerial channels to break the deadlock. This week, the finance, industry, and foreign ministers are heading to Washington for meetings with their U.S. counterparts. Despite ongoing controversies, the opposition People Power Party agreed to fast-track their confirmations so they could get to work immediately on the front lines of negotiations. President Lee Jae-myung’s special envoys to the U.S. and bipartisan lawmakers from the South Korea-U.S. parliamentary union will also visit the U.S. this week. It is a moment that calls for a coordinated, all-out diplomatic effort from both the executive and legislative branches.
The U.S. is demanding expanded access for rice and beef, as well as participation in a $400 billion investment fund. Seoul has offered increased defense spending as part of a broader deal, but progress remains stalled. The upcoming visits by ministers and lawmakers aim to minimize the damage from the looming tariffs and restore trust between the allies. Still, without a summit to seal the agreement, any deals made at the ministerial level could end up falling short.
Apart from government-level talks, a summit must take place soon to reach a comprehensive agreement on trade and security issues, including tariffs and defense cost-sharing. It would also be a chance to dispel negative perceptions of President Lee circulating in some corners of Washington. The all-out effort to resolve the tariff dispute and the diplomatic push to secure a summit must proceed in close coordination.
