South Korea and the United States are set for a series of high-level diplomatic and defense consultations this week, as the allies navigate sensitive security issues, including Seoul’s possible military contribution in the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are coordinating schedules for talks later this month, with a meeting potentially taking place this week ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, which opens Sept. 22.
Cho confirmed Thursday that another meeting with Rubio was being arranged within the month, while pushing back against concerns that recent disagreements have strained the alliance.
"The South Korea-US alliance remains fundamentally strong," Cho said during a National Assembly interpellation session, adding that differences could be addressed through close consultations.
The talks would come at a sensitive juncture for the allies. Washington has been pressing Seoul to move forward with its investment commitments while also seeking greater contributions from its ally on security matters, including a potential South Korean deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Seoul has taken preliminary steps to assess its options, dispatching a team of Foreign and Defense ministry officials to the United Arab Emirates to examine security and operational conditions near the strait, including potential military bases, ports and logistical support. The team returned Thursday, with its findings expected to be reported to the National Security Council. The Defense Ministry has stressed that the fact-finding mission was not conducted on the premise that troops would ultimately be deployed and that no decision has been made.
The issue has become increasingly contentious at home, with opposition emerging among lawmakers in the ruling bloc as well as civic groups.
The domestic pushback has spilled onto the streets, with hundreds of civic and religious groups participating in a rally and march in central Seoul in recent days calling on the government to reject a deployment.
The prospective meeting comes as Seoul and Washington are believed to be nearing an agreement on the first projects under South Korea's $350 billion investment commitment in the US, with an announcement potentially coming around Sept. 18.
Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan was set to return to South Korea on Sunday after negotiations in New York with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other officials over the scale and terms of the package.
A 6.3-gigawatt combined-cycle gas power plant in Encinal, Texas, has emerged as one possible first project, although the government has stressed that negotiations have not been finalized.
Progress on the investment package could give the allies room to move forward on other pending issues, including Seoul's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines and revise the bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
Separately, defense officials from the two countries are expected to convene the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue in Busan later this week, adding another channel for high-level consultations.
KIDD is a regular assistant secretary-level forum through which the allies review their combined defense posture and discuss major defense and security issues.
The upcoming talks are expected to cover Seoul's possible contribution to operations around the Strait of Hormuz as well as discussions over the transition of wartime operational control, or OPCON, of South Korean forces.
Seoul is expected to explain its difficulties in reaching a swift decision on Washington's request concerning the Strait of Hormuz, while reiterating its position that the allies should set a target year for the OPCON transition at their ministerial-level Security Consultative Meeting, expected in November.
The US side is expected to discuss its position on both issues as well as follow-up measures stemming from US President Donald Trump's decision to scale back South Korea-US joint military exercises.
The allies last held KIDD in Washington in May, when they agreed to advance cooperation to implement defense-related commitments contained in the Joint Fact Sheet issued in November following the leaders' October 2025 summit, as well as the joint communique from the 57th SCM.
If the latest KIDD takes place in Busan, shipbuilding cooperation could also feature prominently in the discussions.
South Korea has been seeking to expand cooperation with the US under the "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" initiative, including maintenance, repair and overhaul work for US naval vessels and potential cooperation in warship construction.
The US Defense Department and Navy have reportedly sent requests for information to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries concerning combat vessels or replenishment ships. Officials from the US House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee also visited the three shipbuilders' yards last month.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
