US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday affirmed his confidence in South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok and the strength of the bilateral alliance, and reiterated America's commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea, the State Department said.
Rubio made the remarks during bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. It marked their first in-person meeting since the secretary took office last month.
"Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America's commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK while expressing the Trump administration's openness to dialogue," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"Secretary Rubio reiterated his confidence in ROK Acting President Choi Sang-mok and the strength of the US-ROK Alliance," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
It marked the first time that a top Trump administration official has expressed his or her confidence in South Korea's acting president. US President Donald Trump has made no public mention of Choi since his inauguration last month, while the two leaders have not had a phone call yet.
Choi took on the leadership mantle after acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was impeached on Dec. 27, less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his short-lived Dec. 3 martial law declaration -- an event that has thrust South Korea into a period of political uncertainty.
During the talks in Munich, Rubio also expressed his commitment to "enduring defense and economic ties that reflect the importance of our relationship and its continuity," the spokesperson said, as they discussed how to deter North Korea's potential aggression and the allies' economic cooperation.
Rubio welcomed efforts to further collaborate in the shipbuilding, semiconductor and energy sectors, especially through "increased exportation of American liquefied natural gas," according to Bruce.
"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," Bruce said.
The two diplomats, moreover, shared concerns over China's aggression in the South China Sea, she noted.
Earlier in the day, Seoul's foreign ministry said that during the 40-minute talks, Cho and Rubio agreed to work closely together on North Korea policy under the Trump administration.
"The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, and agreed to closely cooperate in the formulation and implementation of North Korea policies in the future," the ministry said in a release.
"They also shared concerns over military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and agreed to continue the monitoring of the situation," it said.
The talks came as South Korea is seeking to ensure a smooth path in its ties with the new Trump administration on issues including the bilateral alliance, North Korean threats and Trump's tariff plans.
Regarding tariff issues, Cho called for "mutually beneficial solutions" and expressed "South Korea's commitment to resolving them through close bilateral consultations" with the US side, the ministry said.
Rubio, in response, said that he will relay Seoul's position to Washington, suggesting that the matter be discussed further between the two governments.
Trump's plans to impose tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports and his weighing of new tariffs on cars and chips, have raised the need for swift coordination with Washington amid concerns that South Korea could be the next target of Trump's tariff policies.
At Saturday's talks, Rubio reportedly asked for Seoul's active cooperation in the shipbuilding, energy and other sectors, and Cho expressed South Korea's willingness to do so.
"The minister also highlighted the achievements of South Korea's investments in the US and requested US support to ensure a favorable environment," the ministry said.
Their meeting also came at a time when Seoul is working to continue its diplomatic engagement in the wake of the shocking martial law attempt by Yoon in early December.
To this end, Rubio told Cho that the US values its relationship with South Korea, and seeks to maintain stable and trustworthy relations regardless of domestic political situations in each other's countries, the ministry said.
The issue of the North's denuclearization has drawn attention after Trump and his officials referred to Pyongyang as a "nuclear power," sparking a debate in Seoul over the possibility of the US recognizing the reclusive regime's possession of nuclear weapons.
Trump later reaffirmed the US commitment to the "complete denuclearization of North Korea" at the recent summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Following the bilateral talks, Cho and Rubio joined their Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, at the same venue for a trilateral meeting.
The three sides reaffirmed their "resolute" commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea and decried "systematic, widespread and gross" violations of human rights in the reclusive state, according to a joint statement said.
They also sent a "strong" warning against North Korean provocations and stressed their commitment to reinforcing the global anti-Pyongyang sanctions regime. The US side reiterated its "ironclad" security commitments to South Korea and Japan, "backed by America's unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities."
Meanwhile, the top diplomats of the Group of Seven countries called on North Korea to abandon all its nuclear weapons in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" manner as they met on the sidelines of the Munich conference. (Yonhap)
