Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with ROK Foreign Minister Cho

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Following up on their productive phone call on his second day in the office, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at the Munich Security Conference.  The Secretary expressed his commitment to enduring defense and economic ties that reflect the importance of our relationship and its continuity.  The Secretary welcomed efforts to further collaborate in the shipbuilding, semiconductor, and energy sectors, especially through increased exportation of American liquified natural gas.   They discussed the need to continue to advance economic cooperation in line with President Trump’s agenda, including through closer alignment on critical and emerging technologies and joint business initiatives.   The two shared concerns over China’s aggression in the South China Sea and discussed how to deter DPRK aggression.  Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America’s commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK while expressing the Trump administration’s openness to dialogue.  Secretary Rubio reiterated his confidence in ROK Acting President Choi Sang-mok and the strength of the U.S.-ROK Alliance.