S.Korean, US top diplomats discuss security, trade, investment in Manila

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held brief talks in the Philippines on July 22 as Seoul and Washington continue discussions on a range of security, trade and investment issues, the Korean Foreign Ministry has stated.

The two officials met on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings shortly after participating in a trilateral discussions with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Caliber.Az reports, citing Korean media.

The "pull-aside" meeting marked the first talks between Cho and Rubio since February.

The discussions took place amid ongoing efforts by Seoul and Washington to implement commitments outlined in a joint fact sheet issued after the November summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump.

The agreements include South Korea's planned $350 billion investment package in the United States in exchange for lower US tariff rates, as well as Washington's support for Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and peaceful nuclear technologies, including uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities.

The meeting also came as the United States voiced concerns over South Korea's regulatory actions involving US-listed e-commerce company Coupang following a major data leak.

A report by the US House Judiciary Committee and a White House official criticised what they described as discriminatory measures against American companies. Seoul rejected the accusations, stating that all regulatory actions involving Coupang had been carried out lawfully and "in a fair and non-discriminatory manner."

Meanwhile, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan departed for the United States on Wednesday for talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as both sides work to implement the first projects linked to Seoul's investment commitments.

Although the South Korean government has yet to announce specific projects, presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom said the first initiative could be unveiled around August or September.

Seoul and Washington had also planned to hold another round of security consultations around July following their inaugural meeting last month to advance cooperation on submarine development and civilian nuclear energy. However, no schedule has yet been announced, partly due to US involvement in the Middle East conflict.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov