The foreign minister said South Korea and the United States have reached a broad security agreement and that a formal announcement could come as early as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit later this month.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun made the statement in an interview with Yonhap News on Wednesday in response to the question of whether stalled trade negotiations with the United States might affect South Korea's security agenda.

The minister emphasized that while a comprehensive package deal encompassing both trade and security would be ideal, Seoul is prepared to announce a separate security-related agreement in consultation with Washington ahead of the APEC summit, which is set to begin on October 31 in Gyeongju.

The minister indicated that the agreement may involve increased defense spending by South Korea, the acquisition of U.S. weapons and potential revisions to the bilateral nuclear agreement.