Trump: “Korea’s parliament not implementing trade deal” … Raises auto, pharmaceuticals and all tariffs to 25%

U.S. President Donald Trump said South Korea is failing to carry out a bilateral trade agreement and announced he would raise tariffs on key South Korean goods.

On the 26th (local time), Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, “President Lee Jae-myung and I reached a great agreement on July 30, 2025 that benefits both countries, and I reaffirmed it during my visit to South Korea on October 29 of the same year. So why has the Korean National Assembly still not approved it?”

He went on to point out that South Korea’s parliament had not implemented the trade agreement through legislation and, in response, declared a tariff increase on Korean products. “Because the Korean parliament has not enacted the historic trade agreement, I am raising all reciprocal tariffs—including on South Korean automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals—from 15% to 25%,” Trump said.

While noting that “it is their prerogative” for South Korea’s parliament not to approve the agreement, he made clear that the United States had no choice but to take corresponding measures.

The remarks come as the Trump administration has recently stepped up tariff-based pressure on major trading partners including Canada, Europe and Japan. In particular, the official declaration of a tariff hike directly targeting South Korea is widely seen as likely to weigh on bilateral trade relations going forward.