New US tariffs on South Korea are a response to 'losing face' over Greenland, analyst suggests

Описание: (27 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seoul, South Korea - 27 January 2026
1. Various of Cha Du Hyeogn, analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies:
2. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Cha Du Hyeogn, analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies:
"Recently, as the Trump administration clashed with NATO over the Greenland issue, it appeared to partially back down—essentially losing face. From that perspective, Washington has an incentive to demonstrate that its allies are moving in step with the United States. In that context, the U.S. was trying to identify a counterpart that would find it difficult to refuse U.S. demands outright, given the depth of its economic and security ties, even if frictions arise."
3. Various of Cha
4. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Cha Du Hyeogn, analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies:
"(South Korea) has to prevent damage to its companies, which gives it a strong incentive to enter the negotiations with real urgency and a sense of necessity. For the Trump administration, the administration has been projecting signs of strain in trust with its allies. Regardless of the underlying context, there is a clear need to point to a concrete outcome—an achievement demonstrating that it secured a smooth settlement even amid differences with allies."
5. Various of Cha
6. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Cha Du Hyeogn, analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies:
"Even if Supreme Court ruling finds U.S. tariff measures were inappropriate, from the Trump administration’s perspective, it will still want to keep the existing investment commitments on track. It has been framing those commitments as a key achievement in dealing with allies and partners. If that narrative starts to wobble, there are domestic problems, such as ICE-related controversy, but the bigger problem is that approval ratings could slide further, which would make the midterm elections even more bleak. That’s why the administration will try to hold its counterparts to the previously promised levels of investment into the United States. And even if the Supreme Court were to rule that the tariff-based leverage is not appropriate, there are still plenty of ways to bypass this—through executive actions—to substitute for tariffs."
7. Various of Cha
STORYLINE:
New U.S. tariffs on South Korea are a response to 'losing face' over Greenland, a lead analyst at a think tank in Seoul suggested on Tuesday.

"As the Trump administration clashed with NATO over the Greenland issue, it appeared to partially back down—essentially losing face," said Cha Du Hyeogn of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

"From that perspective, Washington has an incentive to demonstrate that its allies are moving in step with the United States," he explained.

It comes after President Donald Trump announced Monday he is increasing tariffs on South Korean goods, because the country’s legislature has yet to approve the trade framework announced last year.

Cha said that Trump's announcement was not only aimed at expediting South Korea's investment in the U.S., but also aimed at projecting the image that allies are aligning with the U.S.'s pace.

Cha added that the U.S. lost face when they backed down from the Greenland issue and wanted to find an ally, who wouldn't refuse the U.S. demands given the depth of its economic and security ties, even if frictions arise.

Trump said on social media that import taxes would be raised on autos, lumber and pharmaceutical drugs from South Korea with the rate on other goods going from 15% to 25%.





AP video shot by Yong Jun Chang



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