Big Money Talks: South Korea and the US

South Korea and the United States are having a serious chat about money. The South Korean finance minister, Koo Yun-cheol, said they're close to a deal but kept the details under wraps. This isn't about swapping cash directly, according to Yonhap news agency, which got the scoop from an anonymous source in the finance ministry. It's also not directly about the tariffs that President Trump put on South Korean goods. South Korea has a big plan: they want to invest $350 billion in the US. But to make this happen, they need a foreign exchange swap. That's what South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during their meeting in New York. Bessent promised to discuss the idea with other US officials and get back to them. But there's a snag. South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said they can't just hand over $350 billion all at once, as Trump wants. President Lee even warned that if they give in to US demands without some protections, South Korea's economy could crash, just like it did in 1997. There's been talk about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick figuring out how to raise that $350 billion investment. But Koo said he hasn't heard anything about that. This whole situation is a bit of a tightrope walk. South Korea wants to invest big in the US, but they need to make sure their own economy stays safe. It's a delicate balance, and the outcome could have big consequences for both countries.