THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

U.S. Treasury Secretary met with South Korean deputy prime minister on January 12 to discuss critical minerals and markets

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Public Treasury readout or official records confirm the meeting occurred on January 12 and covered the stated topics.

Source summary
On January 12, 2026, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun Cheol to discuss the upcoming critical minerals ministerial and recent market developments. They addressed the depreciation of the Korean won, with Bessent saying the movement was inconsistent with Korea’s economic fundamentals and warning against excess foreign-exchange volatility. The officials also discussed implementing the Korea Strategic Trade and Investment Deal, which Bessent said should proceed smoothly and deepen U.S.-South Korea economic ties.
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Latest fact check

The U.S. Department of the Treasury press release (Readout SB0359, Jan. 14, 2026) states that on Monday, January 12 Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun Cheol of South Korea to discuss the critical minerals ministerial meeting and ongoing market developments. Japan's Ministry of Finance also reports that Koo participated on January 12 in the Critical Minerals Finance Ministerial in Washington and held bilateral exchanges with other ministers about market developments, corroborating Koo's presence and the meeting's purpose. Verdict: True — official readouts from the U.S. Treasury and corroborating reports confirm the meeting took place on January 12 and covered the stated topics.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 14, 2026, 09:31 PMTrue
    The U.S. Department of the Treasury press release (Readout SB0359, Jan. 14, 2026) states that on Monday, January 12 Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun Cheol of South Korea to discuss the critical minerals ministerial meeting and ongoing market developments. Japan's Ministry of Finance also reports that Koo participated on January 12 in the Critical Minerals Finance Ministerial in Washington and held bilateral exchanges with other ministers about market developments, corroborating Koo's presence and the meeting's purpose. Verdict: True — official readouts from the U.S. Treasury and corroborating reports confirm the meeting took place on January 12 and covered the stated topics.
  2. Original article · Jan 14, 2026
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