Trump raises US tariffs on South Korea imports to 25%

US President Donald Trump has announced he is raising tariffs on South Korean imports to 25% after accusing Seoul of "not living up" to a trade deal reached last year.

In a post on social media, Trump said he would increase levies on South Korea from 15% across a range of products including automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals and "all other Reciprocal TARIFFS".

Trump said South Korean lawmakers have been slow to approve the deal while "we have acted swiftly to reduce our TARIFFS in line with the Transaction agreed to".

South Korea says it had not been given official notice of the decision to raise tariffs on some of its goods.

South Korea scrambled on Tuesday to assure the U.S. it remained committed to implementing a trade deal after President Donald Trump said he would hike tariffs on autos and other imports from its ally, blaming a delay in enacting the pact agreed last year.

Seoul and Washington reached a deal last October, which included a pledge from South Korea to invest $350bn in the US, some of which would go to shipbuilding.

The following month, the two countries agreed that the US would reduce tariffs on some products once South Korea started the process to approve the deal.