U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 10th (local time) and said he welcomes Korea's investment in the United States and is interested in deepening cooperation in this field.
The U.S. State Department said in a press release that Minister Rubio met with Minister Cho at the White House and made these remarks. The State Department said the meeting covered topics such as revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through Korea's investment in the United States, strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, trade partnerships, and increased defense cost sharing.
However, the document did not mention discussions on the release of 300 Koreans detained by U.S. immigration authorities at the joint battery plant of Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution. It appears the Korean side's release will include details related to the delay in release. A charter plane that was to carry the detainees to Korea was scheduled to depart that day but was delayed by more than a day. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said the delay was due to U.S. circumstances and remaining administrative procedures. Minister Cho said that day, It is not yet the stage to explain the circumstances.
The U.S. State Department said, Minister Rubio met with Minister Cho today following the historic bilateral summit between President Donald Trump and Korea's President Lee Jae-myung on Aug. 25, and introduced that Minister Rubio and Minister Cho emphasized the enduring strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, a key pillar of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years.
The State Department also said the two ministers discussed ways to advance the South Korea-U.S. alliance through future-oriented agendas, including strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, expanding equitable defense burden sharing, revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through Korean investment in shipbuilding and other strategic sectors, and promoting fair and reciprocal trade partnerships. It added that they emphasized their shared resolve to respond to the destabilizing threats posed by North Korea's illegal nuclear and missile programs.