The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States will hold talks in Washington this week amid uncertainties over their trade deal following U.S. President Donald Trump's warning of a tariff hike. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will meet one-on-one with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss implementing summit agreements, including the trade deal. Cho is also attending a U.S.-led ministerial meeting on critical minerals supply chains.
The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States will hold talks in Washington this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid uncertainties over their trade deal after U.S. President Donald Trump's warning of a tariff hike. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will meet one-on-one with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday local time to discuss efforts toward implementing the summit agreements reached between Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, including the trade deal.
The upcoming talks are their first since Trump threatened to raise the reciprocal tariff on South Korean goods to 25 percent from 15 percent, citing a delay in Seoul's legislative process required to move the trade deal forward. The two sides plan to have broad consultations on pending bilateral issues, including measures to accelerate efforts to implement follow-up steps outlined in the joint fact sheet from the summits in August and October last year.
Under the joint fact sheet, South Korea committed to investing US$350 billion in the U.S., including $200 billion in cash installments with an annual cap of $20 billion, in exchange for the lowering of the tariff rate. Cho's visit adds urgency, as last week's trip by Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan suggested little progress in reassuring Washington. After talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Kim said their meeting ended without a conclusion, though it helped resolve "unnecessary misunderstandings."
On Sunday, a ruling party lawmaker said efforts will be made for the National Assembly to pass a special bill on implementing the investment package by late this month or early March. Speaking on a panel discussion with journalists in Seoul last week, Cho said that Trump's tariff threat should not be seen as a breakdown of the trade deal, but as part of the process to implement the agreement.
Cho is visiting Washington to attend a U.S.-led ministerial meeting on critical minerals supply chains set for Wednesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial to advance collective efforts to reinforce and diversify supply chains key to high-tech products, countering China's influence. Attendees include Vice President JD Vance and David Copley, special assistant to the president. The U.S. recently launched the "Pax Silica" coalition with South Korea, Japan, and other allies for supply chain cooperation on AI and critical minerals.
