A Korean trade association on Monday requested U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to defer the implementation of proposed tariffs on Korea over forced labor concerns, or lower them, stressing that Seoul strictly prohibits forced labor through international treaties and domestic laws. Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Chairman Yoon Jin-sik submitted the comment as the USTR recently proposed 12.5 percent tariffs on Korea and other economies over their alleged failure to enforce import bans on products made with forced labor. The tariff proposal came after the USTR conducted trade investigations into 60 countries, including Korea, China and Japan, over forced labor concerns under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, as the Trump administration seeks to replace "reciprocal" tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. "We request that the United States defer the implementation of any additional duties on products from Korea, providing an opportunity for both countries to discuss bilateral cooperation and regulatory alignments," Yoon wrote in the comm