South Korea-US Foreign Ministers Return to Summit After Tariff Negotiations Fail, Promote End to Military Nuclear Weapons, and Restore ROK-US-Japan System
After tariff negotiations failed at the ROK-US Foreign Ministers' Meeting, they returned to the summit in October of last year and agreed to "end military nuclear weapons" and "restore the ROK-US-Japan system."
Regarding the meeting, the US State Department issued a press release on the 3rd stating, "They discussed ways to advance the ROK-US alliance, focusing on a future-oriented agenda consistent with the spirit of the summits between President Lee Jae-myung and President Donald Trump in Washington and Gyeongju."
They also agreed to "closely cooperate on expanding ROK investment in civilian nuclear power, nuclear-powered submarines, shipbuilding, and the rebuilding of key US industries." This reverted to the original announcement of the agreement to "build a Korean nuclear submarine at the Philly Shipyard" and "pay in installments for $350 billion in US investments." While the US announced "civilian nuclear power generation," "nuclear-powered submarines," "shipbuilding," and "investment in the reconstruction of key US industries," the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced "nuclear power," "nuclear-powered submarines," and "cooperation in key sectors such as shipbuilding" as "bilateral agreements."
This suggests South Korea intentionally manipulated the US's "no transfer of military nuclear weapons," "prioritizing investment in shipbuilding," and "investment in industrial reconstruction."
The Lee Jae-myung administration previously announced that National Security Advisor Wi Seong-rak had agreed to a separate agreement on the construction of nuclear submarines in South Korea for military use. In response to the announcement of the 25% tariff restoration, Trade Minister Kim Jung-kwan stated his intention to "continue consultations" at a meeting with Commerce Secretary Lutnick.
However, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo returned to Korea on the 3rd after meeting with the USTR representative in the US, meeting with the Deputy USTR representative, and announcing a "restart of tariff negotiations" appears to be South Korea's unilateral propaganda.
Minister Cho's visit to the US State Department building, which was held immediately after his arrival, was kept private except for photo opportunities and reporters were barred from asking questions, foreshadowing a potential conflict between the two sides. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced in a press release on the 4th that Minister Cho recalled Secretary Rubio's contributions during the negotiation of the Joint Fact Sheet for the ROK-US Summit and said, "Let's now move forward with swift and substantive implementation." The ministry added, "He specifically requested Secretary Rubio to play a leading role in ensuring that cooperation in key areas such as nuclear energy, nuclear-powered submarines, and shipbuilding bears fruit this year, in line with specific milestones." This announcement confirmed that the negotiations were initiated at Minister Cho's unilateral request.
MOFA continued, "Secretary Rubio stated that he will continue to play a necessary role, particularly encouraging relevant ministries to facilitate more expeditious substantive discussions."
The ministry added, "Minister Cho also explained our domestic efforts to implement the ROK-US tariff agreement and investment in the US, and proposed continued cooperation at the diplomatic level to ensure smooth communication and consultation between trade authorities." This suggests that both sides have refused to proceed with negotiations.
The US State Department specifically announced that both sides "emphasized the enduring strength of the ROK-US alliance" and "reemphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation among ROK, US, and Japan to maintain regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific." This confirms Minister Cho's voluntary "backtracking" from the Lee Jae-myung administration's call for a "ROK-China-Japan system" at the summit with Japan.
The US State Department also announced that the bilateral meeting "reaffirmed the shared understanding on the denuclearization of North Korea," confirming the deletion of the new provisions that President Lee specifically emphasized in his New Year's press conference: "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula means denuclearization of North Korea."
This ROK-US diplomatic meeting came just over a week after President Trump declared that he would roll back tariffs from 15% to 25%, citing South Korea's failure to comply with trade agreements. Minister Cho announced during his departure press conference that he would "discuss the tariff issue."
When the controversy over the "Investment in the US" agreement at the South Korea-US summit erupted amid the Trump-led tariff hike controversy, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok reportedly met with Vice President Vance after receiving a US letter from the South Korean government.
He concealed the letter and told South Korean reporters in the US that Vice President Vance had asked what help he could provide regarding North Korea and had requested a special envoy be dispatched to North Korea, a "self-directed play."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, who received the US State Department's letter from the US Embassy in Washington but did not disclose it, stated at the National Assembly on the 28th of last month regarding President Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff hike, "It is clear that I did not express that position because the National Assembly did not ratify it."
Conversely, Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff for Policy, told reporters on the 28th, "It can be interpreted that the US was dissatisfied with the delay in implementing the tariff agreement due to the National Assembly's delay in passing the bill quickly. It seems they felt that the bill's progress was slower than expected."
Foreign Minister Cho then responded to the controversy surrounding the "National Assembly ratification" claim by stating, "It has no direct connection to the Coupang situation," clarifying the internal strife within the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Trump administration's refusal to renegotiate.
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