South Korea's Presidential Office said Wednesday it will "continue to closely monitor developments" after the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Donald Trump's "10% global tariff" measure was unlawful. At the same time, the office stressed that it "plans to respond calmly under the principle of securing a balance of benefits based on the existing (Korea-U.S.) tariff agreement."
A Presidential Office official said in a press notice that day, "This ruling is a first-instance decision on the Section 122 Trade Act tariff lawsuit filed in the United States in early March." Trump had imposed global tariffs on trading partners worldwide through an executive order based on Section 122 of the Trade Act, after the Supreme Court ruled his reciprocal tariff measures unlawful. The court has now also ruled against this measure.
However, the Presidential Office drew a line against broader interpretations, saying, "We understand that the effect of the ruling is limited to only some of the plaintiffs." It added, "Tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act can only be imposed for up to 150 days."
