“President Trump, believing South Korea’s investment in the United States is ‘too slow,’ scales back U.S.-South Korea joint exercises” (Chosun Ilbo Japanese Edition)

Politico, a U.S. political news outlet, reported on the 17th that the Trump administration believes the South Korean government is implementing its investment pledge in the United States more slowly than expected. South Korea pledged a total of $350 billion in investment in the United States during tariff negotiations, of which $150 billion was allocated to cooperation in the shipbuilding industry. The specific destinations for the remaining $200 billion have not yet been disclosed. Some analysts say this suggests a negotiating stance that links economic and security issues in U.S.-South Korea relations.

Sources cited by Politico said that negotiations with South Korea were progressing more slowly than the Trump administration had expected, and conveyed the assessment that the pace of implementation was particularly slow. South Korea’s slow response was also described as standing out in comparison with Japan, which reached an investment agreement with the United States worth $550 billion and has already finalized 6 projects.