Anchor: The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States are set to meet in Washington to try and resolve pending issues between the two countries. It will mark the first high-level diplomatic engagement since President Donald Trump threatened last week to raise tariffs against Seoul to 25 percent. In the midst of this, Trump has announced a trade deal with India to lower reciprocal tariffs.
Rosyn Park has more.

Report: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has departed for Washington to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after trade officials from both sides held two days of consultations and failed to reach a consensus.

Cho told reporters before departing on his trip that he will explain Seoul’s position on their strategic trade and investment deal, its willingness to implement follow-up measures outlined in their joint fact sheet, and progress being made to get the deal legislated in the National Assembly.

[Soundbit: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (Korean-English)]
"I am departing today to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Rubio. Upon arrival, I plan to hold a separate bilateral meeting with Secretary Rubio to discuss various issues. In particular, we plan to discuss outstanding matters related to the implementation of the joint fact sheet agreed upon as a follow-up to the South Korea-U.S. summit held late last year."

Initially, Cho was only scheduled to meet briefly with Rubio on the sidelines of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial gathering at the State Department this week. 

The two are now scheduled to hold a formal bilateral meeting in the U.S. capital on Tuesday.

Cho said Trump’s tariff threat is not a breakdown of the agreement but rather a message urging Seoul to expedite implementation.

[Sound bite: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (Korean-English)]
"It's not a breach of the agreement; it can be understood as a message expressing hope that we will expedite the implementation process."
 
He said he will work with Rubio to gain the U.S.’ understanding and reach a good agreement, adding that he will convey the same message to other U.S. government officials, especially those in Congress. 

It’s expected that Cho will also convey concerns that tariff hikes could negatively affect the solidarity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

In his latest tariff related announcement, Trump posted on his social media Monday a new trade deal with India that will immediately lower U.S. tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent.
 
Trump emphasized that as part of the deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to “stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.” 

Some analysts have pointed out that the move falls in line with "Trump-style" tactics, whereby his administration secures a trade deal with India while increasing tariff pressures on South Korea, signaling to the Asian ally that if it moves more quickly, it too can get a reprieve.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.