South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump for 28 minutes on April 8. It marked the first high-level contact between the two countries since Trump returned to the White House and former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared emergency martial law.
The call came just one day before a planned 25% U.S. tariff on South Korean goods was set to take effect, part of a broader tariff package announced by Trump on April 2.
Trump described the conversation as a “great call” on social media, saying, “We have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries. Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good.”
The “top team” is believed to refer to South Korea’s chief trade negotiator, who flew to Washington the same day to begin talks.
According to Han’s office, the acting president told Trump he hoped for a “win-win” and called for continued ministerial-level discussions on economic cooperation, including trade balance issues.
Shortly after the call, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in an interview that Trump had directed his team to prioritize trade talks with allies such as Japan and South Korea over negotiations with China. “The president will decide when and if to talk with China, but right now, we’ve received the instruction to prioritize our allies,” Hassett said.
On social media, Trump also listed topics discussed during the call, including South Korea’s trade surplus, tariffs, shipbuilding, purchases of U.S. liquefied natural gas, a joint venture in the Alaska Pipeline, and defense cost-sharing.
He reiterated his position that South Korea should pay more for U.S. military protection. Trump appeared to signal a reversal of the Special Measures Agreement struck under President Joe Biden in October 2024, which capped South Korea’s contribution for 2026 at around 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion). Trump has previously claimed Seoul should pay $10 billion—over nine times the agreed amount.
Trump also claimed South Korea began paying “billions of dollars” during his first term, but said the “Sleepy Joe Biden” administration “terminated the deal.” However, no such payment increases were finalized during Trump’s previous term, with talks stalling before Biden took office in 2021.
“We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States,” Trump added. “Like with South Korea, we are bringing up other subjects not covered by Trade and Tariffs, and getting them negotiated also. ONE STOP SHOPPING is a beautiful and efficient process!”
On North Korea, Han told Trump he hoped the allies would demonstrate that their determination to achieve denuclearization is stronger than Pyongyang’s will to retain nuclear weapons. Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea policy, Han’s office said.
The call, initiated at the U.S. side’s request, was initially expected to be brief but lasted longer than anticipated, according to South Korean officials. Analysts viewed the timing as part of Trump’s strategy to pressure allies ahead of his global tariff push.
In a CNN interview released on the same day, Han said South Korea “clearly would like to negotiate” on tariffs and emphasized the “very strong alliance” between the two countries. Asked whether Seoul might coordinate with Japan or China to push back against the U.S., Han replied, “We will not take that route.”
“I don’t think that kind of fighting back will improve the situation dramatically,” he said.
