South Korea-U.S. Summit Gains Momentum... Expected in Mid-August

With the swift conclusion of tariff negotiations with the United States, the diplomatic leaders of South Korea and the U.S. have also become increasingly active. In particular, as discussions regarding the South Korea-U.S. summit have gained significant momentum, government authorities have begun preparations related to the event.

Cho Hyun Foreign Minister. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 31, Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold their first South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting on this day (local time) in Washington, D.C. Considering the time difference between the two countries, it is possible that, depending on the local circumstances, the meeting could take place on the following day in Korean Standard Time. Since his inauguration, Minister Cho has not yet had a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary Rubio, which is unusual. The two are expected to meet face-to-face for the first time on this occasion.

Immediately after the two countries reached a dramatic conclusion to the tariff negotiations, President Donald Trump directly set the timing of the South Korea-U.S. summit as "within two weeks." Therefore, it is expected that the main agenda of the foreign ministers’ meeting will be coordinating the timing of the summit. On the morning of this day, President Trump announced via his social networking service (SNS) that "within two weeks, President Lee Jaemyung will officially visit the White House for a bilateral summit." He also added, "Congratulations to the new president on his election victory." Taking into account the schedules of both leaders and the necessary preparation period, President Lee's visit to the U.S. is expected to take place around mid-August.

Meanwhile, the results of the tariff negotiations announced by the presidential office on this day did not include any details related to security issues such as the cost-sharing for U.S. Forces Korea, defense budget, or weapons purchases, which had previously attracted much attention. The South Korean government was initially known to have proposed a "package deal" that combined trade and security, but it appears the U.S. side rejected this. This issue is expected to be discussed at the diplomatic level in the future. Kim Yongbum, the presidential office’s policy chief, stated, "This deal focused on the trade sector, and security issues will likely be discussed at the upcoming South Korea-U.S. summit." He added, "Security issues were not addressed together with trade in this negotiation as they are separate issues." Regarding the schedule of the South Korea-U.S. summit, he said, "The specific date and format will be discussed by the diplomatic lines of the two countries."