Cho Tae-yeol meets US Rubio, expresses "deep concern over reciprocal tariff measures"

Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is visiting Brussels, Belgium to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, met with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio on the 3rd (local time) and expressed concern over the mutual tariff measures abruptly announced by the United States the previous day.

On the 3rd (local time) in Brussels, Belgium, (from left) Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mark Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, and Iwaya Takeshi, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan and took a commemorative photo. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 4th, Minister Cho expressed deep concern about the U.S. mutual tariff measures and urged Secretary Rubio to "consider the implications for allies, the close Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation, economic cooperation, and the performance of investment in the U.S." in implementing the U.S. tariff measures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

On the same day, Minister Cho held a Korea-U.S.-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Secretary Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi to discuss ▲ cooperation in responding to the North Korean threat ▲ regional situation ▲ ways to enhance economic cooperation. The Korea-U.S.-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held about a month and a half after the last meeting in Munich, Germany on February 15, and this was the first time it was held on the occasion of the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting. It is particularly noteworthy that the meeting took place immediately after the announcement of the U.S. tariff measures. The United States decided to apply high mutual tariff rates of 25% and 24% to South Korea and Japan, respectively.

The three ministers reaffirmed that 'economic cooperation' is an important pillar of Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation and agreed to strengthen cooperation to enhance economic security and supply chain resilience in areas such as energy, critical minerals, and nuclear power.

Furthermore, they reaffirmed their firm commitment to the 'complete denuclearization of North Korea' and agreed to maintain strong deterrence against North Korea and respond resolutely to any provocations by North Korea. To this end, they plan to continue close communication and cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan in ▲ implementing sanctions against North Korea ▲ responding to North Korea's illegal cyber activities and Russia-North Korea military cooperation ▲ protecting North Korean human rights.