Ministry of Foreign Affairs' 1st and 2nd Vice Ministers Visit U.S. to Persuade on 'Eliminating Discrimination Against Electric Vehicles'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The first and second vice ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will visit the United States consecutively this month. This is to persuade the U.S. amid the issue of discrimination against Korean electric vehicles under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has emerged as the biggest issue between South Korea and the U.S.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 8th, Cho Hyun-dong, the first vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will visit the U.S. on the occasion of attending the Korea-U.S. High-Level Foreign and Defense Expanded Deterrence Strategy Consultation Group (EDSCG) held in Washington DC on the 16th (local time), and will hold a separate bilateral meeting with Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.

Vice Minister Cho oversees bilateral political diplomacy within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and serves as a channel to discuss overall Korea-U.S. relations, alliance, and regional and global issues with Deputy Secretary Sherman. Since the foreign ministry has launched full-scale diplomacy toward the U.S. in response to the IRA and this issue is already affecting Korea-U.S. relations, it is expected to be an important topic at this vice ministerial meeting.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said to reporters on the day, "Of course, this issue will be raised at the meeting, and we plan to fully convey our concerns and urge the U.S. side to take prompt measures."

The following week, Lee Do-hoon, the second vice minister who directly handles economic diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will head to the U.S. to discuss the IRA issue. According to a ministry official, Vice Minister Lee, visiting New York and Washington DC, will have significant discussions on the IRA issue with Jose Fernandez, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, during his visit.

Vice Minister Lee and Under Secretary Fernandez serve as chief representatives of the Korea-U.S. Senior Economic Dialogue (SED), a high-level channel for discussing economic cooperation issues between the two countries, allowing for in-depth discussions on the IRA issue. Vice Minister Lee is also expected to meet with relevant U.S. congressional figures to convey the government’s concerns.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Since the governments of South Korea and the U.S. clearly share a consensus to closely consult on this issue, we will continue to seek possible solutions."

He added, "We are conveying our concerns and positions to the U.S. side through various opportunities," and "The U.S. side clearly recognizes and takes our concerns seriously." He also noted that the European Union (EU) and Japan, which share similar concerns with South Korea, are also consulting with the U.S. on this matter, saying, "The government continues consultations with the EU and Japan through their home countries and various diplomatic channels."