White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, in Washington. (AP-Yonhap)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Thursday, in Washington. (AP-Yonhap)

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that she does not have a timeline for US President Donald Trump's stated plan to increase "reciprocal" and other tariffs on South Korea.

Leavitt made the remarks during a press briefing, responding to a reporter's question about when the Trump administration will increase those levies to 25 percent from 15 percent as Trump said last week.

"I don't have a timeline for you on that, but I will make sure that our trade team here at the White House gets you an answer swiftly and promptly," she told reporters.

Last Monday, Trump threatened to raise reciprocal tariffs and auto, lumber and pharmaceutical duties on South Korea, citing a delay in the Asian country's legislative process required for the implementation of a bilateral trade deal.

Under the deal, South Korea has committed to investing $350 billion in US industries, among other pledges, in return for Washington lowering reciprocal tariffs to 15 percent from 25 percent. (Yonhap)