Despite President Donald Trump’s pressure to increase reciprocal tariffs, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S. met face-to-face but failed to reach any significant agreement. The U.S. refrained from disclosing that tariff issues between the two countries were even discussed, underscoring its ongoing dissatisfaction with South Korea.
On Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Cho explained South Korea’s domestic efforts to implement the tariff agreement and investments in the U.S. This appears to be an attempt to reassure the U.S. that the South Korean government is actively working to expedite the passage of the Special Law on Investment in the U.S. through the National Assembly.
Minister Cho urged Secretary Rubio to maintain diplomatic cooperation to ensure smooth communication between trade authorities. He also suggested managing the situation stably, which paradoxically implies that significant differences still exist between South Korea and the U.S.
During this meeting, Minister Cho likely explained South Korea’s position regarding the delays in legislative efforts for the Special Law on Investment in the U.S., which President Trump cited as a reason for increasing reciprocal tariffs, and sought understanding from Secretary Rubio. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not clarify whether they found common ground with the U.S. or made progress beyond discussing domestic efforts for tariff agreements and investment implementation.
The U.S. State Department, in a statement from Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, notably omitted any mention of tariffs.
The State Department reported that Secretary Rubio and Minister Cho discussed ways to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, focusing on forward-looking agendas that build upon the recent summits held by President Trump and President Lee Jae Myung in Washington and Gyeongju. They added that both ministers agreed to continue close cooperation to expand South Korea’s investments in civilian nuclear power, nuclear submarines, and shipbuilding, as well as to support the rebuilding of key U.S. industries.
Additionally, they reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and emphasized the crucial role of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region and ensuring regional stability. This focus on unrelated issues demonstrated a conspicuous avoidance of the tariff matter.