Vice foreign ministers will engage in diplomatic discussions to coax the United States to address Seoul's concerns over Washington’s Inflation Reduction Act(IRA), which withholds tax incentives for electric vehicles(EV) assembled outside of North America.

First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong will visit Washington to attend the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group(EDSCG), a gathering of the allies' vice ministers of foreign affairs and defense, set for next Friday.  

Cho will hold a separate meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on the sidelines of the discussions.

Seoul's concerns regarding the bill will likely feature as a key agenda during the talks as South Korea ramps up diplomatic efforts on the matter and as it is already starting to affect bilateral relations.

A foreign ministry official told reporters on Thursday that the government will naturally raise the issue during the meeting and call for swift measures by the U.S. to address Seoul's concerns. 

Following Cho's trip, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Do-hoon will visit the U.S. to discuss the IRA issue.

According to a foreign ministry official, Lee will meet with Jose Fernandez, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment for in-depth discussion on the matter.