Overview

• Presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan will travel to Washington on Thursday for follow-up negotiations on the tariff-investment package.
• Kim Yong-beom is scheduled to meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as part of consultations on the deal’s financial framework.
• Talks will center on operational and funding terms for South Korea’s US$350 billion investment, including Seoul’s push for a currency swap as a risk backstop.
• The presidential office says Washington has responded to some revised proposals, and Kim described a U.S. alternative to earlier upfront cash demands as “very meaningful.”
• National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac says Seoul seeks meaningful progress before the Gyeongju APEC meetings, with officials noting the final structure must be viable for parliamentary approval.