White House, Washington. July 7, 2025 Dear President Li Zaiming President of the Republic of Korea Seoul Your Excellency the President: I am honored to write this letter to you, which not only reflects the solid foundation and commitment of our trade relationship, but also indicates that despite the significant trade deficit between the United States and your country, the United States is still willing to continue cooperating with South Korea. However, we have decided to move forward hand in hand with your country only on the basis of more balanced and fair trade. Therefore, we sincerely invite South Korea to participate in the outstanding economy of the United States, the world's largest market. We have had many years of discussions with your country regarding trade relations, and the conclusion we have reached is that we must get rid of these long-standing and extremely stubborn trade deficits caused by South Korea's tariff, non-tariff policies, and trade barriers. Unfortunately, our trade relationship has always lacked reciprocity. Starting from August 1, 2025, the United States will impose a uniform tariff of 25% on all South Korean exports to the United States, excluding industry-specific tariffs. Any goods attempting to evade the tariff by transiting through a third country will be subject to a higher tax rate. Please understand that this 25% tariff is far below the level required to bridge the US South Korea trade deficit. As you know, if a South Korean or your country's company decides to build or produce related products in the United States, it will not be subject to this tariff restriction. In fact, we will make every effort to ensure that the approval process is fast, professional, and standardized - in other words, it can be completed in just a few weeks. If you decide to increase tariffs on American goods, regardless of the magnitude of the increase, the United States will impose a corresponding percentage on top of 25%. Please understand that this move aims to correct South Korea's unsustainable trade deficit with the United States over the years through tariffs, non-tariff policies, and trade barriers. This trade deficit has become a major threat to the US economy and even national security.