Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues

Anna J. Park

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Final adjustments to the joint fact sheet summarizing recent Korea-U.S. summit talks and related negotiations on tariffs and security are taking longer than expected, mainly due to ongoing “language coordination” in the security section, Seoul officials said Friday.

A senior presidential office official told reporters that the release of the document, which had been expected this week, has been delayed amid continued fine-tuning of the text.

According to the official, the document comprises two major parts regarding security and tariffs, with a near-complete draft being prepared. However, “recently, on the U.S. side, there has been an additional interagency review process required by their system, during which some departments requested further input, and that review process has caused some delays," the official said.

“In particular, we needed to incorporate new security-related discussions raised during the Gyeongju summit,” the official added, referring to the bilateral talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in late October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.

He noted that, given the evolving situation, it remains difficult to predict when the joint fact sheet will be finalized.

“The situation continues to change, so we cannot say for certain when it will be completed,” the official said. “Nonetheless, we intend to maintain a consistent stance and continue consultations with patience to ensure that our position is fully reflected.”

Addressing speculation that the upcoming Korea-U.S. fact sheet could be invalidated or subject to renegotiation if the U.S. Supreme Court rules the Trump administration’s tariff policies unconstitutional, the official downplayed such concerns.

“I don’t think it will go that far,” the official said. “It’s unlikely the administration would be rendered powerless by such a ruling, and even if that happens, it wouldn’t automatically nullify the agreement.”