On Friday, amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Middle East situation and rumors of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, the top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S. are expected to meet face-to-face in Paris, France.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, currently in Paris for the first expanded G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday and Friday, has yet to finalize a bilateral meeting schedule with his U.S. counterpart.
The conference will unfold over three sessions, addressing Global Governance Reform, Reconstruction, and Responding to Transnational Threats. The first session and a working dinner for the second session are slated for today, with the third session following on Friday.
The State Department confirms that Secretary Marco Rubio will skip the first day’s agenda, joining only for the third session on the second day. He reportedly plans to spend less than 24 hours in Paris.
This leaves only Friday as a potential window for Minister Cho and Secretary Rubio to meet in person. Given the lack of a confirmed meeting schedule, a pull-aside (an informal, brief encounter) seems the most likely scenario.
The two diplomats are expected to exchange views on the Middle East situation, which teeters between de-escalation and further conflict. They’re also likely to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal to dispatch South Korean naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz.
