Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan to hold talks in Munich this week: Seoul

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold talks in Munich later this week, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday, in what will be their first such trilateral meeting since the launch of the second Donald Trump administration.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will have the sit-down with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, the ministry said in a message to reporters.

“We expect this meeting to serve as an opportunity to discuss ways to advance trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan, as well as to address North Korea’s nuclear issue and regional affairs, and enhance cooperation in economic security,” the ministry said.

The talks will follow Cho’s planned bilateral talks with Rubio, their first one-on-one meeting since Rubio took office.

Cho is due to depart for Munich on Friday, his first overseas trip since the political turmoil in South Korea triggered by now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law attempt in December last year.

The foreign minister’s office said earlier the minister plans to discuss with Rubio the bilateral alliance under the Trump administration and coordination on their respective North Korea policies.

Cho was also expected to highlight South Korea’s contributions to the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea and Seoul’s position on Trump’s recent announcement of import tariffs.