On Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun began talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Minister Cho met with Secretary Rubio around 2:00 p.m. at the U.S. State Department building in Washington, D.C. Prior to their meeting, the two faced the press in the Treaty Room, posing for photographs between the national flags before shaking hands.
After about ten seconds of photo opportunities, both foreign ministers moved to the meeting room without answering questions about tariff negotiations.
Having arrived in the U.S. that day, Minister Cho is expected to request that President Donald Trump withdraw or suspend his recent plan to increase tariffs on South Korea during his talks with Secretary Rubio.
Discussions are also likely to cover amendments to the nuclear agreement regarding South Korea’s development and possession of nuclear-powered submarines, as outlined in the U.S.-South Korea joint fact sheet.
Before departing the previous day, Minister Cho told reporters in South Korea that it is thoroughly explaining and seeking understanding regarding the legislative process of the agreements made between the U.S. and South Korean governments.
He also stated that as a follow-up to the summit between the leaders, it plans to discuss the remaining issues concerning the implementation of the agreed joint fact sheet. He added that they would address North Korean issues, peace on the Korean Peninsula, peace in Northeast Asia, and various global concerns.
Minister Cho is scheduled to attend the Ministerial Meeting on Critical Minerals hosted by the U.S. State Department on Wednesday.