Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with ROK Foreign Minister Cho

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Cho Hyun today in Washington.  The Secretary and Foreign Minister underscored the unwavering strength of the U.S.-ROK Alliance, which has served as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years.  They expressed continued support for their mutual goal of strengthening the U.S.-ROK Alliance, including through our robust combined defense posture and the continued provision of extended deterrence to the ROK. 

Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho discussed efforts to advance the shared prosperity of the United States and the ROK, including by strengthening supply chains and collaborating on critical and emerging technologies, among other efforts.  They both welcomed the announcement of a full and complete trade deal and the forthcoming visit of ROK President Lee Jae Myung to Washington.  Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho also reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK, the full implementation of international sanctions, and expressed serious concerns about North Korea’s increasing military cooperation with Russia.  Both emphasized that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community.  Furthermore, they discussed the importance of continuing to advance U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, which plays a vital role in deterrence and resilience against regional security threats.