Newsmax Online (left) pointing out the lack of a written agreement, and U.S. President Donald Trump signing an executive order. 

Amidst prominent U.S. media outlets giving significant coverage to the fact that South Korea does not possess a written agreement on the ROK-U.S. tariff negotiations, some observers suggest that the White House may be moving towards tightening its grip on Lee Jae-myung. 

Newsmax, an influential conservative online publication in the U.S., reported on the 1st, quoting a South Korean negotiating team official who returned home, that "there is still no 'written agreement' on the tariff agreement between South Korea and the United States announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on the 30th of last month after the negotiations." 

According to the broadcast, President Trump stated that he had lowered U.S. tariffs on South Korean imports from the previous 25% to 15%, but he only disclosed parts of it on his Truth Social account and Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnik's social media, without releasing detailed contents. 

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The White House released fact sheets the day after signing tariff agreements with Japan and the European Union, and has not yet released separate fact sheets for the agreement with South Korea. 

The broadcast pointed out that Yeo Han-koo, the Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy, admitted to reporters after returning from Washington that "due to time constraints, negotiations were conducted primarily orally," and that "there is no written agreement." Minister Yeo expressed his difficulties as a negotiating team member representing an Asian ally of the U.S., stating, "Although we have overcome this crisis, we cannot be complacent and are uncertain when we will face tariff or non-tariff pressures."

He also seemed to express his feelings about the unfamiliar negotiation table, which was so different that it made his career as a negotiation expert seem insignificant. He said, "What I felt during these negotiations is that the U.S. trade environment is fundamentally changing, and it is completely different from the first Trump administration," adding, "I believe we are entering a new normal."

Earlier, President Trump stated that South Korea would invest $350 billion in projects 'owned and controlled by the United States' and that he would select them. 

Subsequently, when Secretary of Commerce Rutnik mentioned on social media that 90% of the investment profits would go to the American people, the South Korean government made an effort to deny it. However, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt repeatedly confirmed that the investment profits would go to the U.S. government to help repay debts, leading to a flood of sharp criticism from both the left and right, calling it "humiliating tribute diplomacy." 

In particular, domestic public opinion anticipates that, without a document specifying concrete details, South Korea may be pressured to follow the U.S.'s unilateral announcement method in the future. 

This interpretation suggests that it will not be easy for the administration to refuse the White House's demands after crossing over to the U.S. with broad support from leftist forces, seeking official recognition of its legitimacy from the U.S. This is because oral agreements whose 'details' are not finalized can be easily nullified by the White House, and if this happens, the administration will not be free from the public sentiment calling for impeachment. 

This puts them in a dilemma where they can neither accept the rice and beef import proposals nor completely reject the offer and return empty-handed. The analysis suggests that if the negotiations fail, the minimum 25% tariff will remain unchanged, and the possibility of being ousted by the public due to economic collapse will only grow. They are caught in what is called the 'Trump trap,' making it difficult to respond, as the U.S. holds the key. 

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President Trump appears willing to personally and kindly explain the negotiation details to Lee Jae-myung, whom he invited to the White House.

On the 1st (local time), Breitbart, a conservative newspaper owned by former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, quoted in the White House newsletter, reported on the 31st that President Trump would hold a summit with Lee Jae-myung, a leftist who came to power with minimal foreign policy experience in June, and explain the provisions of the trade agreement in detail.

In this regard, it is necessary to recall that President Trump, known as a "master negotiator," always had a '+α' card in his tariff tactics. 

In April, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House in Washington D.C. and abruptly announced that "China has agreed to fully open its capital markets to the United States." 

Similar to the current negotiations with South Korea, the expression "fully open" was used. 

This was a follow-up announcement to the high-level U.S.-China talks held in Geneva, Switzerland, the preceding weekend. In response, there was speculation in South Korea that the U.S. had caved to China after the announcement of a 90-day suspension of tariffs on China, and mainstream media incitement was rampant. 

However, the reality was different. It was soon revealed that the "agreement for the complete opening of China's capital markets" was behind the effective suspension of tariffs. Months later, the U.S.-China working-level negotiations are proceeding as planned. It was predictable that a communist country opening its market to U.S. capital would shake its governing foundation. At the time, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was facing a crisis of losing power, ended up giving up his home turf without being able to make a move. Rumors circulated that President Xi was immediately held on a leash by the U.S. 

Even at that time, President Trump expressed expectations, stating that the promises made by the Chinese side were not yet solidified and that "it needs to be papered, but the agreement itself will bring great benefits to everyone." He then flaunted the power of "peace through strength" by saying, "We are not trying to harm China. The Chinese Communist Party is satisfied just by what we can do with them." 

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In this regard, President Trump showed his magnanimity by focusing on China's proactive measures, stating, "It was never understandable and unfair that China did not open its markets to the United States," and added, "China has also agreed to suspend and abolish non-monetary barriers. They have agreed with us to eliminate a great many barriers." 

The two countries are coordinating the detailed framework at the working level. Since April, China has not once denied that the U.S. announcement was false. 

Newsmax, in particular, citing a Reuters report that headlined the lack of a written agreement, highlighted that Kim Jung-kwan, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, who returned with Minister Yeo, said, "More discussions were needed on the profit structure of the investment fund." It also noted that Koo Yun-cheol, the Deputy Prime Minister and a member of the negotiating team, stated that South Korea must establish a detailed plan for the $350 billion investment to be made to the United States. 

Newsmax reported that the ROK-U.S. negotiations did not cover most of the non-tariff barriers, security, and foreign exchange aspects discussed at the working-level meeting. 

Consequently, there are predictions that President Trump, who invited the head of the South Korean government, elected amidst allegations of election fraud, to the White House to see him in person, will make an irresistible offer on issues other than tariffs in the future. 

There are numerous instances of President Trump pressuring leaders during summits. He sent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky home empty-handed and reprimanded South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to his face over allegations of white farmer massacres.

During the first Trump administration in 2019, it is a well-known anecdote that he sent Kim Jong-un, who had traveled for 66 hours by train, back empty-handed, telling him he must have had a difficult journey. For North Korea, this was a bitter humiliation where their "absolute dignity" was completely disregarded. 

For this reason, attention is focused on what message President Trump will deliver to the South Korean side. Some observers predict that he will make them personally realize the reality of "peace through strength." 

By Heo Gyeom