With a snap election looming, South Korea's rival parties jockeyed for position with vows to focus on the economy and livelihood, but the leaderless country remains hamstrung when it comes to confronting the biggest threat: Trump and tariffs.

South Korea's acting president Han Duck-soo ordered on April 3 an "all-out" response to the United States' higher-than-expected reciprocal tariffs on imports from the country.

South Korea is preparing an emergency response to address the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on automobiles after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a 25% tariff on all vehicles not manufactured in the U.