Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is expected to visit the United States as early as next week. Traditionally, when a South Korean Foreign Minister takes office, it is customary for them to first hold a phone call with their U.S. counterpart, the Secretary of State. However, in this case, it appears that an in-person meeting is being prioritized, which is unusual.
According to diplomatic sources on the 24th, South Korea and the United States are currently coordinating a schedule for Minister Cho to visit the U.S. next week and hold a face-to-face meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The timing of the visit is noteworthy, as it coincides with August 1, when the U.S. has announced it will impose reciprocal tariffs. However, it has been reported that Minister Cho's visit to the U.S. is not directly linked to the tariff negotiations between the two countries.
Nonetheless, it is expected that the foreign ministers of both countries will naturally exchange views on current issues surrounding the tariff negotiations. On his first day at work on the 21st, Minister Cho told reporters, "Tariff negotiations are often seen as a zero-sum game, but based on my experience, it can be a win-win situation." Additionally, it appears that the two sides will also begin coordinating the schedule for a South Korea-U.S. summit.
However, questions remain as to why the customary phone call between the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States did not take place when the new foreign minister took office. There is also speculation that National Security Advisor Wi Sunglak, who recently visited the U.S. for tariff negotiations, may not have met with Secretary Rubio, raising concerns about the current atmosphere between the two countries. At a briefing on this day, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong responded to a question about the schedule for a phone call between the two foreign ministers by saying, "We are communicating with the U.S. side to ensure prompt exchanges without being bound by formalities."
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