South Korea national security adviser travels to Washington ahead of tariff deadline
Wi Sung-lac's trip comes just two weeks after his last visit to Washington for talks on tariffs and security. After Trump's announcement, South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks.
There were no immediate details on who he was planning to meet. Presidential aide Woo Sang-ho told journalists Wi would engage in negotiations on various issues, without elaborating.
Earlier this month, Trump said he planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on South Korea from August 1, posing the first major test for South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung since he came to office barely a month ago.
On his last trip to Washington, Wi said he had met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and proposed including security and investments in trade negotiations.
Wi also proposed an early summit between the leaders of the two countries, according to media reports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?
Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them. A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed, the agency said. IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Here's what to know. Following a court injunction last summer, loan forgiveness for the SAVE, Income-Contingent Repayment, or ICR, and Pay As You Earn, or PAYE, plans is currently paused because those plans were not created by Congress. The legal action called into question whether student loan forgiveness was authorized under the federal statute that governs those plans. The IBR plan was created under a different authority. IBR, created by Congress, reduces monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. It also invokes a statute that authorizes student loan forgiveness of the balance at the end of a 20- or 25-year repayment term. The Education Department hasn't given a timeline for when its system update will be complete and forgiveness will resume. Borrowers enrolled in IBR who have reached the threshold for forgiveness but who are not seeing their loans discharged as a result of the pause may continue to make payments with the expectation that the Education Department will refund the excess payments. The plan offers forgiveness after 240 or 300 monthly payments depending on when borrowers enrolled. Borrowers can also request forbearance from their loan servicer. In that case, interest would continue to accrue on any remaining balance. Trump's tax and spending law will eventually phase out the ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans, replacing them with the Repayment Assistance Plan. IBR plans will continue to exist and to provide forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. RAP, in contrast, will require 30 years of repayment before forgiveness is granted. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Thousands of Afghans face possible deportation after court refuses to extend their legal protection
VIRGINIA: Thousands of Afghans in the US are no longer protected from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone the Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. A three-judge panel of the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia said in a ruling late Monday there was 'insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement' of the administration's decision not to extend Temporary Protected Status for people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. TPS for Afghans ended July 14, but was briefly extended by the appeals court through July 21 while it considered an emergency request for a longer postponement. The Department of Homeland Security in May said it was ending Temporary Protected Status for 11,700 people from Afghanistan in 60 days. That status — in place since 2022 — had allowed them to work and meant the government couldn't deport them. CASA, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy group, sued the administration over the TPS revocation for Afghans as well as for people from Cameroon, which expire August 4. It said the decisions were racially motivated and failed to follow a process laid out by Congress. A federal judge allowed the lawsuit to go forward but didn't grant CASA's request to keep the protections in place while the lawsuit plays out. A phone message for CASA on Tuesday was not immediately returned. Without an extension, TPS holders from Afghanistan and Cameroon face a 'devastating choice — abandoning their homes, relinquishing their employment, and uprooting their lives to return to a country where they face the threat of severe physical harm or even death, or remaining in the United States in a state of legal uncertainty while they wait for other immigration processes to play out,' CASA warned in court documents. In its decision on Monday, the appeals court said CASA had made a 'plausible' legal claim against the administration, and urged the lower court to move the case forward expeditiously. It also said many of the TPS holders from the two countries may be eligible for other legal protections that remain available to them. Temporary Protected Status can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary to people who face safety concerns in their home countries because of armed conflict, environmental disaster or other conditions. They can't be deported and can work legally in the US, but they don't have a pathway to citizenship. The status, however, is inherently precarious because it is up to the Homeland Security secretary to renew the protections regularly — usually every 18 months. The Trump administration has pushed to remove Temporary Protected Status from people from seven countries, with Venezuela and Haiti making up the biggest chunk of the hundreds of thousands of people affected. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. Groups that help Afghan TPS holders say the country is still extremely dangerous. 'Ending TPS does not align with the reality of circumstances on the ground in Afghanistan,' Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah said in a statement. 'Conditions remain dire, especially for allies who supported the US mission, as well as women, girls, religious minorities, and ethnic groups targeted by the Taliban.' He called on Congress to provide Afghan TPS holders with a 'permanent path to safety and stability.'
Leaders
3 hours ago
- Leaders
Trump Withdraws US from UNESCO Amid Clash over Ideological Priorities
President Donald Trump announced the US will withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), citing the organization's anti-American and anti-Israel bias, along with its woke agenda. The decision follows a 90-day review initiated in February, focusing on anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment within UNESCO. Concerns Over DEI Policies Administration officials expressed concerns about UNESCO's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly stated that the organization's pro-Palestinian and pro-China stance influenced the decision, emphasizing that Trump prioritizes American interests in international organizations. UNESCO's recent initiatives raised alarms, as the 2023 'anti-racism toolkit' urged member states to adopt anti-racist policies. Additionally, the 2024 'Transforming MEN'talities' initiative aimed to reshape perceptions of gender issues in India, which also included a report on using video games to promote gender equality. Anti-Israel Actions UNESCO has faced criticism for its anti-Israel actions, including designating Jewish holy sites as 'Palestinian World Heritage' sites, with the organization frequently describing Palestine as 'occupied' by Israel while failing to condemn Hamas's actions in Gaza. Moreover, China, the second-largest funder of UNESCO, has leveraged its influence to promote its interests. The Chinese Communist Party has faced scrutiny for downplaying the role of minorities, such as Uyghur Muslims, in its history. Trump previously withdrew the US from UNESCO in 2017, citing similar concerns. The US first left the organization in 1983 under President Reagan, who criticized its politicization and hostility toward free societies. President Biden rejoined UNESCO in 2023, arguing that American presence was essential to counter China's influence, with his administration also pledging to repay over $600 million in dues since 2011. Short link :
