Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Cho Hyun following the recent summit between President Trump and ROK President Lee Jae Myung on August 25. According to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the two officials reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.–ROK Alliance, describing it as "the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years."
Secretary Rubio expressed that the United States welcomes investment from South Korea and showed interest in further cooperation in this area. During their discussion, both leaders focused on advancing the alliance by strengthening deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific region, expanding equitable defense burden sharing, and encouraging revitalization of American manufacturing through South Korean investment in shipbuilding and other key sectors. They also discussed promoting a balanced trade partnership.
Additionally, Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho emphasized their joint commitment to addressing ongoing threats posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities.