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Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul asks Rubio to conduct tariff talks with 'sufficient time' in view of election in Korea

Published: 07 May. 2025, 08:49

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is seen speaking on the phone to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in this photo released by Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called for the United States to carry out bilateral talks over tariffs and other issues "with sufficient time" in consideration of the June 3 presidential election in Korea during a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Cho made the remarks as Seoul has been striving to secure exemptions from the Trump administration's "reciprocal" and sectoral tariffs, with a view to reaching a "July package" agreement over trade, and economic and industrial cooperation before July 8, when President Donald Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs ends.

"Minister Cho called for further strengthening the alliance based on a strong combined defense posture against North Korea, and for closely cooperating to explore a win-win solution from recent tariff consultations between the trade authorities of South Korea and the United States," the ministry said in a press release.

Cho asked Rubio to play a role in ensuring that during the trade talks, Korea's status as the United States' ally and a country with a FTA with the United States will be sufficiently taken into account.

"Secretary Rubio said he would actively cooperate," the ministry said.

The minister expressed his gratitude for the United States having demonstrated unwavering support for Korea during a period of political transition. He also asked for Rubio's particular attention to help ensure that a phone call between a new Korean president and Trump can take place immediately after the presidential poll in Korea.

Rubio reiterated that the U.S., including Trump, values the South Korea-U.S. alliance and will reinforce it, the ministry said.

This file photo, provided by Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shows South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, center right, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center left, holding talks on the margins of an international security conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 15. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The secretary also called for active cooperation to further develop the bilateral alliance, which he said has been strengthened under three pillars — a mutual defense treaty; the allies' robust defense capabilities, including extended deterrence; and the economic and technology partnership.

In a separate readout, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Cho and Rubio agreed to make progress on "modernizing" the two countries' alliance around common economic and national security goals, in line with trade consultations led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer, and to work together in response to shared regional threats.

Cho and Rubio also affirmed the alliance's "fundamental" mission to defend Korea through a robust combined defense posture and the enhancement of mutual security based on the two countries' mutual defense treaty.

Rubio reiterated the United States' commitment to provide extended deterrence to Korea, "drawing on the full range of the United States' military capabilities," according to Bruce.

Yonhap