U.S. Warns South Korea Over Tech Bill, Threatens Tariffs in Digital Trade Spat
Trade tensions escalate as Washington pressures Seoul to revise its Online Platform Act, a legislation perceived to disproportionately target American tech giants. A bipartisan coalition of 43 U.S. lawmakers alleges the bill favors Chinese competitors like ByteDance while imposing stringent compliance burdens on firms such as Google and Meta.
The July 3 letter to top U.S. trade officials frames the proposed regulation as a potential violation of bilateral agreements, warning of retaliatory tariffs on Korean exports if no resolution is reached by July 8. The standoff mirrors growing global fractures in digital governance, with Seoul's EU-inspired approach clashing with Washington's strategic interests.