Rubio Considers South Korea Visit on July 8... Possibility of South Korea-U.S. Summit in 'Late July'

Urgent Bilateral Issues Such as Reciprocal Tariffs and Increased Defense Spending
All Eyes on the Summit Schedule

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, is reportedly considering a visit to South Korea for a two-day, one-night trip starting on July 8, coinciding with his attendance at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Malaysia. There is speculation that a South Korea-U.S. summit between President Lee Jaemyung and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place as early as the end of July.

On July 1, the presidential office refrained from making any direct comments regarding the possibility of a South Korea-U.S. summit. The administration faces the need to produce tangible results regarding the U.S. reciprocal tariffs, for which the grace period expires on July 8. In addition, as is the case with NATO member states, South Korea must also devise a response to the U.S. demand for increased defense spending. Given the urgency of these bilateral issues, there is speculation within political circles that the summit could take place in late July or early August, with President Lee visiting the United States. However, presidential spokesperson Kang Yujeong stated, "As for the South Korea-U.S. summit, I understand that discussions regarding the timing are ongoing, based on a mutual understanding of its necessity," and added, "The end of July is not a date that has been announced by the presidential office."

Since taking office, President Lee made his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage at the G7 summit in Canada on June 17 (local time), just about two weeks after his inauguration, and sought to arrange a summit with President Trump. However, the meeting fell through when President Trump returned early to the U.S. due to the Israel-Iran issue. If Secretary Rubio visits South Korea, he is expected to meet with his counterpart, National Security Office Director Wi Seongrak, to discuss the South Korea-U.S. summit in detail. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "We will continue consultations on high-level exchanges between South Korea and the United States."

If the South Korea-U.S. summit is held, tariff negotiations and increased defense spending are expected to be on the agenda. The grace period for the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. expires on July 8. While Treasury Secretary Scott Besant suggested the possibility of extending the grace period, President Trump increased uncertainty by stating on Fox News that he would "send letters to all countries" before the grace period ends. President Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25%, 35%, or 50% on countries with severe trade imbalances, while some countries will only be subject to a basic tariff of 10%.

Additionally, the U.S. plans to demand that not only NATO member states but also Asian allies increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP. The 5% figure consists of '3.5%' for direct security costs and '1.5%' for indirect security costs (infrastructure and defense industry). For South Korea, the issue is further complicated by the need to negotiate an increase in its share of the cost for stationing U.S. forces. Spokesperson Kang stated, "If the timing is coordinated in any way, the outcome will be announced to the media."