Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday instructed the government to engage with the United States to address any "misunderstandings" regarding South Korea's average tariff rate on US imports.
The order followed US President Donald Trump's claim in his address to a joint session of Congress last week, stating that South Korea's average tariff is four times higher than that of the US.
In a meeting with ministers and officials on economic issues, Choi ordered officials to "actively explain" any misunderstandings regarding South Korea's tariff rate on US imports in future talks with the United States.
The South Korean government has clarified that its average tariff rate on goods imported from the US was 0.79 percent last year under the bilateral free trade agreement between the two nations, with the rate set to decrease further this year.
He also instructed officials to prepare and negotiate on matters of interest to the US, such as the shipbuilding and energy sectors, in ways that would benefit both countries. (Yonhap)
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