The Korea Times
The undercurrents of tariff politics are sweeping across China, Canada, Mexico, the European Union and the Indian subcontinent. They are reshaping global geopolitics and now spilling toward the Korean Peninsula, even as tensions simmer in the Middle East. As U.S. President Donald Trump questions allies over burden-sharing, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is entering a phase of strategic recalibration. Recent tensions and developments are setting the stage for visible strain within the alliance. Incidents such as the U.S. immigration officers' raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia and continued trade frictions are testing mutual trust. These disruptions are not temporary and invite a closer look at the historical depth of the relations. That history stretches back to the 1882 Treaty of Amity and Commerce at Jemulpo (now Incheon). Relations strengthened after the Korean War and gradually evolved into a multidimensional partnership. Since 2007, the Korea-U.S. FTA institutionalized this shift. By 2025, bilateral trade reached roughly $194 billion, comprising $68.8 billion
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