South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Munich, Germany, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
During their 40-minute meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the alliance and collaborating on key issues including North Korea's denuclearization, military cooperation and economic relations, South Korea's foreign ministry said.
"We had extensive discussions about the North Korean nuclear issue," a ministry official said. "The U.S. side promised complete denuclearization and close consultation with South Korea."
Trump and his aides recently called North Korea a "nuclear power," raising concerns that the U.S. might acknowledge it as a nuclear weapons state. There are also concerns that Trump might bypass South Korea in favor of direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The ministers shared concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korean troops being deployed to fight in Ukraine.
On trade issues, Cho raised concerns about Trump's recent tariff policy, emphasizing the need for bilateral consultation. Rubio responded that he would "convey the message well" to relevant U.S. departments, according to ministry officials.
Highlighting South Korea's contributions to the alliance, Cho detailed Korean companies' investments in the United States and requested U.S. cooperation in maintaining a positive environment for continued expansion.
The ministers also identified shipbuilding, nuclear energy, liquified natural gas and advanced technologies as key areas for strategic cooperation.
The issue of defense cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea did not come up during the meeting, officials said.
The talks mark the first high-level diplomatic exchange between the allies since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. Sources said Cho also requested U.S. assistance in arranging a call between the countries' leaders.
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