Trump Says Reciprocal Tariffs on South Korea Will Be Raised to 25 Percent

The president said that the increase to 25 percent from 15 percent is a response to South Korea’s failure to ratify a trade agreement.KIA Motors’ vehicles are parked to be exported, at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on July 31, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters1/26/2026|Updated: 1/26/2026President Donald Trump on Jan. 26 announced that the United States would be increasing tariff duties on South Korea to a new rate of 25 percent from the previous rate of 15 percent.Trump, in a post on Truth Social, alleged that the South Korean legislature “is not living up to its Deal with the United States” through its failure to enact the agreement.Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times. Author’s Selected Articles