Anchor: U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, 43 days after taking office, in which he slammed South Korea and other trading partners. Claiming that Seoul charges Washington four times as much in tariffs than vice versa, he hinted at the possibility of reciprocal duties. Seoul immediately denied the claims.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Addressing a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump specifically targeted South Korea as one of the countries that treat the U.S. unfairly in his view.

[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump] 
“China’s average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them. And South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher. Think of that. Four times higher. And we give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that’s what happens. This is happening by friend and foe. This system is not fair to the United States and never was.”

Trump did not specify where he obtained the tariff figures for South Korea, which is a free trade partner with the U.S. 

As the American president insinuated that he might charge reciprocal tariffs on South Korean goods, the government in Seoul immediately responded, estimating current tariff levels on U.S. exports to South Korea at some zero-point-79 percent.

South Korea charges WTO member countries most-favored-nation tariffs of 13-point-four percent.

That’s four times higher than the United States’ three-point-three percent. 

The rate, however, does not apply to bilateral trade between South Korea and the U.S. 

While forging ahead with his protectionist policies, during his speech Trump also revealed his plans to launch energy projects with South Korea and Japan. 

[Sound bite: US President Donald Trump] 
“My administration is also working on a gigantic natural gas pipeline in Alaska, among the largest in the world, where Japan, South Korea and other nations want to be our partner with investments of trillions of dollars each. There’s never been anything like that one. It will be truly spectacular. It’s all set to go.”

Led by the state government of Alaska, the project aims to build a one-thousand-300-kilometer pipeline to deliver liquefied natural gas from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Nikiski.

Sources said South Korea was previously not interested in joining the project but is reconsidering it to reduce tariff pressures from Washington. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World  Radio News.