韩国：与美国关税谈判取得“实质性进展”

Group 1 - South Korea has made "substantial progress" in tariff negotiations with the United States on most key issues, although there are still disagreements regarding the structure of a $350 billion investment fund, which is central to the agreement that sets a 15% tariff cap on South Korean goods [1] - Kim Yong-beom, the head of the South Korean presidential office's policy room, indicated that there is a broad consensus on many issues, but several matters still require further negotiation, with an increased likelihood of reaching an agreement at the upcoming APEC summit [1] - Following informal discussions at Mar-a-Lago involving South Korean business leaders and U.S. President Trump, the South Korean benchmark stock index, Kospi, reached a new high, surpassing the 3,800-point level [1] Group 2 - In July, a trade agreement framework was reached between South Korea and the U.S., where the U.S. would lower tariffs on South Korean goods in exchange for a $350 billion investment from South Korea; however, there are disputes on how to handle the investment, preventing the agreement from being implemented [4] - Concerns were raised by Lee Jae-myung regarding the potential economic risks if South Korea were to withdraw $350 billion in cash for investment in the U.S., likening it to the financial crisis of 1997 [4] - President Trump has repeatedly requested that South Korea "prepay" the $350 billion investment, while South Korea is advocating for a currency swap agreement to support its investment commitments in the tariff negotiations, noting that the proposed amount would account for over 80% of its foreign exchange reserves [4]