Cho Hyun, Skips Japan Leg for Urgent Visit to US…Possibility of Unexpected Situation in Korea-US Summit

First to Washington, Ahead of President Lee, Without Attending Korea-Japan Summit…Foreign Ministry Cites "Thorough Preparation"

Expected to Meet with US Secretary of State Rubio, etc. … Speculation Abounds Regarding Disagreements in Discussion Process for Outcome Document

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun [Yonhap News Archive Photo]

 Foreign Minister Cho Hyun abruptly departed for the United States on the 21st, citing the need to coordinate preparations for the Korea-US summit, which is just four days away.

Speculation is rising that an unexpected situation may have occurred in relation to the preparation for the Korea-US summit, as Minister Cho, who was expected to accompany President Lee Jae-myung to the Korea-Japan summit in Tokyo on the 23rd, skipped that event to head to the US.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official on the 21st, Minister Cho departed for the US on the same day. He is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others in Washington.

Typically, the Foreign Minister accompanies the President on overseas trips as an official delegate. However, Minister Cho is heading directly to the US without accompanying President Lee on his trip to Japan. President Lee is scheduled to hold a summit with the US in Washington on the 25th (local time) after the Korea-Japan summit on the 23rd.

Minister Cho's early departure for the US was reportedly decided the previous day at South Korea's request, and the arrangements were so rushed that he could not take a direct flight.

It is also known that the schedule of who he will meet in Washington has not yet been finalized, and only a small group, including the Director-General for North American Affairs, is accompanying Minister Cho.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "Given the significance and weight of this summit, the first between the two new administrations of South Korea and the US, the Minister will visit in advance to conduct final checks on-site with the US side to ensure more detailed and thorough preparation."

However, it is highly unusual for the Foreign Minister to skip an already scheduled summit, the Korea-Japan summit, to travel to the US, leading to suggestions that there may be an urgent need for face-to-face consultations with the US ahead of the Korea-US summit.

There is speculation that the Foreign Minister may have boarded a plane to the US directly because of significant disagreements at the working-level in discussions regarding the format and content of the outcomes of the Korea-US summit, disagreements that could not be resolved by lower-level officials.

The agenda for the Korea-US summit has included topics such as alliance modernization, expanded strategic flexibility of US Forces Korea, strengthening alliance contributions, and trade issues like tariff negotiations, as proposed by the US. South Korea is pursuing revisions to the Korea-US Atomic Energy Agreement.

Speculation suggests that the level of participation in containing China, desired by the US which is focused on countering China, may have been higher than South Korea anticipated, or that the US may have had doubts about the direction of revisions to the Atomic Energy Agreement proposed by South Korea.

However, a South Korean foreign affairs source commented, "It is not that a particularly negative situation has suddenly arisen, but rather that he is going to try and make things even better."

Some are suggesting that disagreements in agenda discussions are common even among allies, and if the Foreign Minister's urgent trip to Washington is indicative of such urgency, it might be due to variables related to the summit schedule itself rather than the agenda. Yonhap News