Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok's Warning Falls on Deaf Ears Ahead of Trump's Visit
The mayor of the South Korean steelmaking hub, Pohang, has issued a dire warning to President Donald Trump as he embarks on his whirlwind trip through Asia. Lee Kang-deok, who has been mayor for 11 years, urged Trump to visit his city, which is struggling to stay afloat under the weight of 50% tariffs imposed by the US on its steel exports.
Pohang, with its steel plants dotting the shoreline and its beaches in their shadow, was once synonymous with the steel industry in South Korea. However, the tariffs have devastated the city, leaving it "struggling to the point of dying." Lee said that if the steel industry collapses, so will construction, automobiles, shipbuilding, and energy - all industries heavily reliant on steel production.
Lee's warning comes as Trump claims that a trade deal with South Korea has been finalized. However, Pohang Mayor Lee disputes this claim, saying that "we didn't do as much as we'd hoped in Washington, D.C." He believes that the US is mainly hurting longtime allies like South Korea and Japan due to competition with China.
The mayor's words fall on deaf ears as Trump continues his Asia tour. Despite the dire warnings from Lee, Trump remains committed to his steel tariff policy, which has already taken a significant toll on Pohang and the global steel industry.
As the US president heads to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, where he addressed a CEOs luncheon, Pohang Mayor Lee's words serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of Trump's trade policies. The city is bracing for long-term impacts from the tariffs, having declared it an "Industrial Crisis Response Area" and qualifying it for more subsidies.
The US steel tariff policy may have been designed to level the playing field with China, but it has ended up hurting some of America's oldest and most loyal allies, like South Korea. The question on everyone's mind now is: will Trump listen to the warning from Pohang Mayor Lee, or will he continue to ignore the devastating impact of his steel tariff policy?
The mayor of the South Korean steelmaking hub, Pohang, has issued a dire warning to President Donald Trump as he embarks on his whirlwind trip through Asia. Lee Kang-deok, who has been mayor for 11 years, urged Trump to visit his city, which is struggling to stay afloat under the weight of 50% tariffs imposed by the US on its steel exports.
Pohang, with its steel plants dotting the shoreline and its beaches in their shadow, was once synonymous with the steel industry in South Korea. However, the tariffs have devastated the city, leaving it "struggling to the point of dying." Lee said that if the steel industry collapses, so will construction, automobiles, shipbuilding, and energy - all industries heavily reliant on steel production.
Lee's warning comes as Trump claims that a trade deal with South Korea has been finalized. However, Pohang Mayor Lee disputes this claim, saying that "we didn't do as much as we'd hoped in Washington, D.C." He believes that the US is mainly hurting longtime allies like South Korea and Japan due to competition with China.
The mayor's words fall on deaf ears as Trump continues his Asia tour. Despite the dire warnings from Lee, Trump remains committed to his steel tariff policy, which has already taken a significant toll on Pohang and the global steel industry.
As the US president heads to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, where he addressed a CEOs luncheon, Pohang Mayor Lee's words serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of Trump's trade policies. The city is bracing for long-term impacts from the tariffs, having declared it an "Industrial Crisis Response Area" and qualifying it for more subsidies.
The US steel tariff policy may have been designed to level the playing field with China, but it has ended up hurting some of America's oldest and most loyal allies, like South Korea. The question on everyone's mind now is: will Trump listen to the warning from Pohang Mayor Lee, or will he continue to ignore the devastating impact of his steel tariff policy?
. I mean, can't you just imagine visiting a beautiful city with gorgeous beaches, but all you see are steel factories and pollution? It's heartbreaking. And yeah, it makes sense that the mayor is warning Trump about this, because if the steel industry collapses, the whole economy of Pohang will be affected too 
. I'm not surprised that his words aren't getting through to Trump though, he can be pretty stubborn when it comes to things like trade policies 
. What really bothers me is that South Korea and Japan are being unfairly targeted due to China's rise, it just seems so unfair 
.
i mean yeah trump's trade policies are super bad news for south korea and all its allies but lee's just speaking truth, you know? he's not trying to be dramatic or anything, just stating facts. 50% tariffs? that's crazy 
and yeah construction and autos and shipbuilding and energy... those industries are all gonna get hurt big time. i feel bad for the ppl of pohang 
wishful thinking, maybe? anyway, let's hope Pohang gets some much-needed help 
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that city needs our help ASAP! I mean, 50% tariffs on their steel exports is just devastating 
. Can't we talk about how much we value these industries and the people affected by Trump's trade policies? 
It's not like they're asking for a handout, they're begging for mercy 
. I'm totally rooting for Mayor Lee to speak up more and get some real attention from Trump 
. We need to make sure our voices are heard too! 
lee kang-deok is just trying to warn him about the consequences and it falls on deaf ears... like, cant he see how this is affecting innocent people's lives? 
i hope trump realizes the impact his policies are having but i'm not holding my breath at this point 