Key facts
- South Korea's US$350 billion investment deal with the US is reportedly on the verge of collapse.
- US President Donald Trump announced a US$200 billion tranche of the deal without South Korean officials present.
- Seoul had sought a 10-percentage-point tariff reduction as part of the agreement.
The anxiety gripping Seoul is palpable as South Korea's US$350 billion investment deal with the US faces collapse. Signed last November with the aim of securing a 10-percentage-point tariff reduction, the agreement's facade has crumbled within a year. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced a US$200 billion tranche of the deal without any South Korean officials present. Blindsided by the move, Seoul restated its "commercial viability" clause, to which Trump responded bluntly.