Foreign Minister Cho Hyun seeks meeting with Rubio ahead of U.S. tariff implementation

U.S. tariffs to take effect on August 1

2+2 talks fall through, National Security Director Wi Sung-rak unable to meet Rubio

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun is reportedly planning to visit the United States next week to seek a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It is expected that she will try to convey South Korea’s position to the U.S. administration before the reciprocal tariffs are announced on August 1.

According to diplomatic authorities on the 24th, South Korea and the U.S. are coordinating plans for Minister Cho’s visit, and it is reported that opinions are converging on holding a foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington next week. It is also expected that they will discuss not only overall diplomatic and security issues but also the timing of a Korea-U.S. summit. However, it remains uncertain whether the meeting between Minister Cho and Secretary Rubio will actually take place. Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a regular briefing that "regarding high-level exchanges between South Korea and the U.S., we are communicating with the U.S. side for prompt exchanges regardless of the format."

Meanwhile, the '2+2 Trade Talks' between the finance and trade ministers of South Korea and the United States, scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. on the 25th (local time), were suddenly canceled due to the urgent schedule of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Besant. Wi Sung-rak, Director of National Security at the Presidential Office, who was returning from a business trip to the U.S. that day, was also unable to have a face-to-face meeting with Secretary Rubio because of changes in Rubio’s schedule. Secretary Rubio also holds the concurrent post of White House National Security Advisor.

Reporter Hyunil Lee hiuneal@hankyung.com