Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Secretary of State and White House national security adviser Marco Rubio held talks on the 3rd (local time) at the State Department building in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. State Department said in a news release that day that the two countries agreed to closely cooperate on "civilian nuclear power, nuclear-powered submarines, shipbuilding, and expanding Korean investment to rebuild key U.S. industries."
In addition, the two ministers "reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea" and "emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and Korea to maintain regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific," it said.
The State Department also said that "Minister Rubio held talks with Minister Cho to underscore the enduring strength of the U.S.-Korea alliance and expressed appreciation for Korea's important leadership role in building a safe, resilient, and diversified critical minerals supply chain."
Minister Cho visited the United States to attend a meeting of foreign ministers on critical minerals chaired by Rubio on the 4th. The Donald Trump administration is focusing on securing critical minerals amid its power struggle with China.
The talks came a week after President Trump on the 26th said he would raise tariffs on Korean-made automobiles and other goods by 10 percentage points, from 15% to 25%, citing delays by Korea's National Assembly in handling the Special Act on Investment in the United States, but the news release that day did not include details of discussions between the two ministers on the matter.
Earlier, as Minister Cho departed for the United States, Cho said, "Since the matter agreed upon between the two governments is being pursued through legislation in accordance with our National Assembly procedures, I will explain this well to the U.S. side and seek understanding."