SEOUL, Feb 6 - South Korea's foreign minister, Cho Hyun, told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Seoul is not deliberately slowing the passage of a special bill designed to enable U.S. investments under the trade agreement negotiated with Washington last year, according to a report.
Cho made the point during a press conference held in Washington on Thursday and reiterated the message in a meeting with Rubio earlier in the week, saying South Korea has a strong willingness to carry out a commitment to invest $350 billion in key U.S. industries that was included in the deal.
According to Cho's account, Rubio responded that the atmosphere in Washington regarding South Korea's follow-through on implementing the deal was "not favourable." The foreign minister's remarks underline a diplomatic effort to address concerns voiced by U.S. officials about the pace of South Korea's legislative action.
Domestically, South Korean lawmakers announced on Wednesday that they would finalise the necessary legislation by March 9 to permit the planned investments to proceed. That pledge from the legislature came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential tariff increases on Korean goods, attributing his threat to delays in enacting the measures required by the agreement.
The exchanges between Cho and Rubio, and the legislature's stated timeline, reflect an ongoing effort to translate the investment commitments in the bilateral deal into enacted law. The foreign minister framed Seoul's position as one of intent to fulfil the $350 billion investment pledge, while U.S. officials have indicated concern about the speed of implementation.
Beyond the public statements, the available information is limited to the comments made by Cho about his conversations with Rubio and the legislative timetable announced by lawmakers. No further details on the content of the special bill or specific steps to be taken before the March 9 target were provided in the reporting.
Summary
South Korea's foreign minister told the U.S. secretary of state that Seoul is not purposely delaying passage of legislation to enable U.S. investments tied to last year's trade deal, and reaffirmed a commitment to invest $350 billion in key U.S. industries. Washington has expressed concern about the implementation pace, and South Korean lawmakers say they will finalise the legislation by March 9 after U.S. tariff threats.