South Korea’s top diplomat to meet Rubio amid U.S. investment discussions

Seoul – South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, the foreign ministry said, amid efforts by the allies to bridge differences over planned South Korean investments in the United States and discuss security issues.

Cho will visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday, the ministry said on Wednesday.

The pair plan to hold consultations on a wide range of topics, including the South Korean-U.S. relationship, Korean Peninsula issues, and regional and global issues, it said.

The visit comes as the countries try to reach agreement over the implementation of $350 billion of South Korean investment commitments made under a trade deal struck last year and as Seoul weighs whether to send military assets to support navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Under the trade agreement signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung last October, Seoul pledged the investments in return for Washington capping tariffs on Korean imports at 15%.

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said on Sunday Seoul hoped to reach a final investment agreement with Washington and announce it this week, but cautioned that several matters remained unresolved.

South Korea’s government asked to postpone a planned briefing on Thursday to a parliamentary committee about Seoul’s U.S. investment plans, the industry ministry said on Wednesday.

Lawmakers said on Tuesday the briefing had been expected to be one of the final steps before Seoul and Washington set terms on the investment pledge.

The postponement raises questions about the timing of any agreement. A South Korean ruling party lawmaker had said on Tuesday that Trump was expected to announce Seoul’s investment in the U.S. on Friday.

Rubio’s talks with Cho also come amid debate in South Korea over a possible deployment of its military to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has criticized South Korea in recent weeks for what he described as insufficient support for the U.S.-led effort to secure the strait following the war with Iran.

South Korea has said it was reviewing options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the strait, while denying media reports that a deployment had already been decided.

North Korea is also likely to feature in the talks amid speculation over a possible summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has been pushing aides for a meeting as soon as the autumn with Kim, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The South Korean president is due to hold a news conference on Friday and is expected to address a range of issues including the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. investment negotiations, local media reported.