S. Korea's chief trade negotiator sacked amid growing US tariff pressure

Seoul, Aug 15

South Korea's chief trade negotiator has been dismissed from his post, officials said on Saturday, as Seoul faces mounting tariff pressure from the United States amid a series of unresolved bilateral trade issues.

Yeo Han-koo was notified of his dismissal by the Ministry of Personnel Management on Friday, an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, without elaborating on the reason for the decision, reports Yonhap news agency.

The dismissal comes at a sensitive time for bilateral trade relations, as Seoul faces growing U.S. pressure to accelerate its investment commitments under a bilateral tariff deal and a dispute over fines against U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang over a personal data breach.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing new tariffs on drones and their components, including a 15 percent levy on imports from South Korea.

Yeo previously served as trade minister under the Moon Jae-in administration and was reappointed to the post following the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration in May 2025.

Since returning to the post, he has played a key role in trade negotiations with Washington, including talks over U.S. tariffs and South Korea's investment commitments.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States "pretty soon," asserting America's control of the crucial waterway through its naval blockade.

Trump made the remarks during a visit to a police academy in Garden City, New York, as disruptions to shipping through the strait, a key shipping route for oil, natural gas and other commodities, have continued amid the war in the Middle East, leaving energy prices high.

"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated ... pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said.