Senior Official Says "U.S. Negotiation Team's Visit to Korea Is a Scheduling Issue, Not a Hold"

"If the U.S. visit to Korea is further delayed, we may go instead"
"The U.S. has not yet agreed to the 're-establishment of no-fly zones'...talks are underway"

A senior government official said on the 24th that the delay in the visit to Korea by the U.S. negotiation team for consultations on security issues between South Korea and the United States is "a scheduling issue, not a hold."

The senior official met with reporters at the Government Complex Seoul the same day and said, "The U.S. side tried to form one large team to visit Korea by bringing together various pending issues such as nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear energy, so the schedule was adjusted during the preparation process." The official added, "There is a possibility that the schedule, which was initially expected to take place in February, will be pushed back to March, but it is only a technical issue in that it is taking time to coordinate positions among U.S. government agencies, including the White House National Security Council (NSC) and the Department of Energy." The official also said, "Progress is somewhat delayed due to the complex external situation facing the United States, including the Iran crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the U.S.-China summit." This is interpreted to mean that internal circumstances in the United States are causing delays in coordinating the negotiation team's visit to Korea.

Initially, the government had expected that the U.S. negotiation team would visit as early as the beginning of this year for follow-up consultations on South Korea-U.S. security issues, including nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear energy. However, as the passage of the Special Act on Investment in the United States has been delayed in Korea, the issue of re-raising tariffs has surfaced, and the timing of the visit has been repeatedly pushed back. In effect, the tariff negotiations are affecting even the security domain. Recently, there had been projections that the delegation would visit at the end of this month or in early to mid-March, but even that has become uncertain. The fact that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the 20th (local time) that reciprocal tariffs are unlawful has further heightened uncertainty.

However, the senior official said, "Consultations on security issues, including the implementation of the Joint Factsheet (JFS) text, are proceeding without major problems," adding, "If the U.S. visit to Korea continues to be delayed, we are also considering the option of visiting the United States."

Regarding the government's move to partially restore elements of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, such as the establishment of no-fly zones, the official said that "the U.S. side has not yet agreed, and it is an issue under close consultation."

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun and Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyuback departed for Ottawa, Canada, on this day to attend the "2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting" to be held on the 25th (local time). They plan to broadly discuss economic security issues, including defense industry and supply chain cooperation aimed at winning a Canadian submarine contract. This 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting is a high-level consultative body being convened two years after the first meeting in 2024. On the occasion of this trip, Minister Cho will also hold a separate bilateral meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.