In a press release, the department's principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Washington, D.C., where they "discussed ways to advance" the bilateral alliance.
Pigott added that the two "agreed to continue to work closely on civil nuclear power, nuclear-powered submarines, shipbuilding, and increasing [South Korea's] investments to rebuild critical U.S. industries."
Rubio, expressing his gratitude, was also quoted as saying that South Korea has played an important role in "building secure, resilient, and diversified critical minerals supply chains."
Cho's talks with Rubio came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned last Monday that he would raise reciprocal tariffs on Seoul from 15 percent back to 25 percent, citing delays in implementing the broader deal, which includes Seoul's massive investment pledges to the U.S.
Before returning home, Cho is set to attend a U.S.-led ministerial meeting on critical minerals on Wednesday, which brings together G7 countries and other mineral-rich nations to discuss ways to stabilize and diversify supply chains, as the U.S. ramps up efforts to reduce its reliance on Chinese critical minerals after China's restrictions on exports of rare earth materials.
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