Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan, left, speaks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun during a meeting of economic ministers on external affairs at Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Korean officials appear wary of the possibility that ongoing tariff tensions with the United States could spill over into upcoming bilateral security talks, even as they emphasize that both sides are working to prevent economic disputes from undermining broader cooperation.

Despite Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's visit to Washington last week, where he met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the tariff situation remains largely unchanged, foreign ministry officials said Thursday.

"The situation has not fundamentally changed," an official said on condition of anonymity when asked whether Cho's visit had altered Washington’s stance. "At its core, the issue remains the implementation of (Korea's) investment commitments. There has been no change in the fact that further progress is still needed on that."

The official said one of the key outcomes of Cho's meeting with Rubio was a shared understanding that the tariff dispute must be carefully managed to avoid damaging the broader alliance.

"Both sides agreed that the situation needs to be carefully managed, particularly to ensure that economic issues do not spill over into security matters."

The remarks come as Seoul seeks to avert a tariff increase after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 27 that tariffs on Korean products would jump to 25 percent from 15 percent. Trump accused Korea's National Assembly of delaying legislation required to implement the bilateral agreement the countries drafted last November.

Despite continued diplomatic engagement in recent weeks, including consultations between security and trade officials, little progress has been made.

Concerns are growing that the dispute could complicate planned security talks, as a U.S. government delegation is considering a visit to Seoul in late February or early March to discuss pending defense issues.

The two main items on the agenda are Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and expanded rights to uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, both discussed during an October summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Trump.

Source: Korea Times News