Korea sacks chief trade negotiator as U.S. pressure mounts
Yeo Han-koo was removed by administrative order without a stated reason, leaving Seoul’s trade office without a named successor as it navigates U.S. pressure over investment commitments, Section 301 issues and other disputes.
Yeo Han-koo speaks at the 2026 Plant Policy Forum in Yeouido, western Seoul on July 2.
YONHAP
Yeo Han-koo, who as Korea's chief trade negotiator helped lead tariff talks with the United States, has been dismissed from his post by administrative order, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
"Yeo has been dismissed by administrative order," a ministry official said on Saturday. "We were notified by the presidential office the day before."
Yeo previously served as director-general for trade policy and later as chief trade negotiator at the ministry under the Moon Jae-in administration, before being reappointed to the chief negotiator role when the Lee Jae Myung administration took office.
The removal of a political appointee by administrative order is an extraordinary measure, yet no specific reason was given for the move.
"Because this was a decision made by the appointing authority, we don't know the specific background," the ministry official said. "We will do our best to ensure there is no disruption to our work."
The removal of the official at the center of working-level trade negotiations comes at a sensitive time for Korea-U.S. trade relations as Seoul faced pressure to increase investment commitments under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act and questions surrounding the e-commerce company Coupang.
Still, some officials inside and outside the government said it was unclear whether the personnel change was directly tied to performance in handling South Korea-U.S. trade issues or during negotiations. Some also suggested that personal matters unrelated to the official’s work may have played a role in the decision, according to people familiar with the matter.
Yeo rejected those suggestions on Saturday. “The allegations being raised are clearly different from the facts,” he said. “I respectfully ask that you refrain from speculative reports based on unverified information.” He added that he may pursue legal action to protect his rights if false information is indiscriminately circulated.
With no successor yet named, the sudden vacancy at the top of the country’s trade negotiating office is expected to disrupt the continuity of negotiations with the United States.
The Trade Ministry said it has activated an emergency operating system led by Deputy Trade Minister Park Jung-sung to minimize any gaps in handling key trade issues.
“Led by the deputy trade minister, each negotiating team is continuing to respond steadily to trade issues with the United States, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and other key matters,” the ministry said. “Negotiations with the United States and other trading partners will continue without interruption, while working-level and high-level consultation channels remain fully operational as before.”
Update. Aug. 15: More information about Yeo's sacking and its aftermath added.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
