Early Korea-U.S. summit in doubt as Secretary of State Rubio cancels planned visit to Seoul
Published: 03 Jul. 2025, 14:04
Updated: 03 Jul. 2025, 18:43
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives prior to a closed briefing on Iran for members of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 27. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/03/01f3b847-98cc-40e9-a142-893b3f5e21e0.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives prior to a closed briefing on Iran for members of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 27. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
The Korean government’s plan to use U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s expected visit as an opportunity to coordinate the agenda and schedule of a Korea-U.S. summit was disrupted after Rubio canceled his trip, which had been slated for sometime around next Tuesday.
With President Lee Jae Myung yet to hold an introductory meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, concerns have arisen that the cancellation could impact the chances of arranging an early Korea-U.S. summit.
“Korea and the U.S. had been discussing the possibility of Rubio visiting, but due to internal circumstances in the United States, it now appears unlikely he will come anytime soon,” said a presidential office official said on Thursday.
“Korea and the United States will continue consultations on high-level exchanges,” the official added.
Had the visit gone ahead, Rubio was expected to meet with his counterpart Wi Sung-lac, director of the National Security Office, and pay a courtesy call on Lee.
The United States informed Seoul of the cancellation on Wednesday, citing Rubio’s need to attend the U.S.-Israel summit scheduled for Monday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting Washington, according to sources.
Rubio also canceled his planned visit to Japan, which was to follow his trip to Korea. As he serves as both secretary of state and national security adviser, it is believed that pressing issues, such as Middle East affairs and trade negotiations, took precedence over his Asia tour.
Still, it is rare for a cabinet-level official to cancel a confirmed visit less than a week before it is scheduled to take place. Furthermore, Netanyahu’s planned visit to the United States was made public as early as Monday, suggesting that the schedule had likely been confirmed earlier. Despite this, Seoul was only notified of the cancellation just days before the visit.
![National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, left, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the margins of the NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 24. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/03/dc215d3e-c780-432b-bddf-e32b9590d706.jpg)
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, left, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the margins of the NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 24. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
Instead of traveling to Korea or Japan, Rubio is scheduled to head directly to Malaysia for the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting on July 10. Japan is expected to attempt to arrange a bilateral foreign ministers’ meeting with Rubio on that occasion, even without a separate visit to Japan.
However, with Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun’s confirmation hearing schedule still undecided, it is unlikely Korea will send a minister-level official to the meeting. Even on-site, the chances of a bilateral meeting between Korea and the United States appear slim.
This has led to interpretations that Rubio’s decision not to visit Korea suggests Washington did not prioritize Korea’s unique circumstances.
Some analysts speculate that the cancellation may signal slow progress in pre-summit agenda coordination between Seoul and Washington.
The two sides were believed to be aiming for a summit that would finalize agreements after making headway on trade issues like tariffs and security cost-sharing through two-track working-level talks.
But with the Lee administration’s foreign and security team still incomplete and little prospect for early results on Trump’s key interests — tariffs and defense burden-sharing — Rubio may have downgraded the priority of visiting Korea.
In a press conference marking his first 30 days in office, Lee said of the tariff negotiations, “We still have not clearly defined what each side wants,” adding, “I can’t say for sure whether we’ll be able to conclude talks by the Tuesday deadline for the ‘July Package.’”
![U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a refueling stop at Shannon Airport in Shannon, Ireland on March 12, as he travels from talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia to attending a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Canada. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/03/6094636a-e8ad-411f-9643-fdeebcf64063.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a refueling stop at Shannon Airport in Shannon, Ireland on March 12, as he travels from talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia to attending a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Canada. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
With talks proving difficult, there had been hope that Rubio’s visit could help secure a deadline extension — an opportunity now lost.
Earlier plans to hold a Korea-U.S. summit during the Group of 7 and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summits were thwarted by Trump’s early return from the former and Lee’s decision not to attend the latter. Now, with Rubio’s visit also canceled, preparations for a Korea-U.S. summit have taken another hit.
There are concerns that the first summit may be delayed until the UN General Assembly in September or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in October.
To complicate matters further, China recently invited Lee to attend its September event marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, the Chinese holiday marking the end of World War Two, adding a new layer of complexity to the diplomatic calculus, including the sequence of Korea-U.S. and Korea-China summits. Lee may have to decide whether to attend the Chinese event before even meeting Trump.
By comparison, former President Park Geun-hye held her first Korea-U.S. summit 71 days after taking office, former President Moon Jae-in after 51 days, and former President Yoon Suk Yeol just 11 days into his term when then-U.S. President Joe Biden visited Korea.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU,CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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