Top diplomats of S. Korea, US to hold talks on alliance, Trump tariffs

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States were set to hold talks in Munich on February 15, with the bilateral alliance, North Korea issues and Trump's tariff plans expected to top the agenda, Report informs via Yonhap.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will meet one-on-one with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, the first such high-level talks between the allies since the launch of the Donald Trump administration.

The meeting comes as South Korea is seeking to ensure a smooth path in its relationship with the second Trump administration amid the political uncertainty sparked by now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid in December last year.

Trump's announcement on plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, and weighing of new tariffs on vehicles and chips, have called on the need for swift coordination with Washington amid concerns South Korea could be the next target of Trump's tariff policies.

Announcing Cho's planned talks with Rubio, South Korea's foreign ministry said "bilateral economic cooperation" would be one of the key topics of their discussions, along with North Korean nuclear issues and trilateral cooperation with Japan.