US pressure mounts on Seoul over tariffs, Strait of Hormuz

South Korea is once again facing pressure from Washington on both economic and security fronts. The 10 percent baseline tariff the United States imposed on countries worldwide expires Friday, and concerns are growing over the possible use of so-called "Super 301" measures — tariffs under Section 301 of the US Trade Act — while renewed tensions in the Middle East have revived calls for Seoul to play a greater role in securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The South Korean government is closely monitoring the situation. Seoul is expected to watch how other allies such as Japan and the EU respond, while proceeding cautiously on any decision to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday that regarding the Section 301 investigation, "the US government has consistently expressed its intention to honor the Korea-US tariff agreement," adding that "as the deadline for the global tariff suspension approaches, the government is closely tracking related developments."

The official said Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Representative Yeo Han-koo, who are visiting the United States this week, plan to discuss the matter with the US Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative.

The US Trade Representative launched Section 301 investigations in March against 16 economies — including South Korea, China, Japan and the EU — as a preliminary step toward imposing additional tariffs. Some observers now warn that President Donald Trump could raise the prospect of new tariffs on South Korea separately from the existing bilateral tariff agreement.

Growing US-Iran tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz are adding to Seoul's concerns. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has mentioned a "protection fee" for countries using the strait, and the possibility of Washington requesting allied warship deployments has also been raised.

Min Jeong-hun, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said Seoul would need to see exactly how Washington frames any request. "Dispatching a warship in an active combat situation is the last step in the known protocol, so caution is unavoidable," he said.

Min added that if a request does come, South Korea should first signal it will review the matter, then watch how the international community — particularly Japan and European nations — responds.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to attend a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting among South Korea, the United States and Japan on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday. The Strait of Hormuz situation is expected to be among the topics discussed. A separate bilateral meeting between the South Korean and US foreign ministers is reportedly being coordinated.