Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun said he will make his utmost efforts to remove South Korea from a U.S. list of “sensitive” countries during his Washington trip, or seek a “constructive alternative” if removal is not possible. 

The minister announced his intentions Thursday when addressing reporters upon arriving at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

Ahn said that during the two-day trip he will explore how best to ensure there are no hindrances to science, technology and industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States.

As for U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to roll out reciprocal tariffs on April 2, the minister said there are virtually no tariffs between South Korea and the U.S. under a bilateral free trade agreement, but that some nontariff issues have been raised and efforts are underway to address the issues domestically.

Ahn is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Thursday afternoon and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Friday.