US President Donald Trump speaks to the press while leaving for the “Salute to America” event in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 3, 2025, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. (AFP/Yonhap)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly canceled a visit to South Korea originally planned for this week, throwing a wrench in South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s hopes of holding a summit with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible.
Rubio’s cancellation of his visit to Korea has spurred speculation about a rift in US-South Korea relations, but the domestic situation in the US is likely to have been a major factor in the decision. Tariff negotiations with the US, which are effectively being overseen by Trump himself, could indeed make or break plans for a South Korea-US summit.
Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported that Rubio’s change of plans was due to his intentions of attending a summit scheduled between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington this week. Rubio was originally scheduled to visit Japan on Monday and South Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Japanese paper reported that Rubio called off the trip to focus on the Middle East. While the news had sparked speculation about a rift in US-South Korea relations, this is unlikely to be the case.
As the July 8 deadline for trade negotiations approaches, it is possible that Trump’s move to levy new tariffs influenced Rubio’s decision to cancel his visit to South Korea.
Addressing reporters on Friday, Trump said that his administration would “probably have 10 to 12 letters” to send to trading partners regarding tariff negotiations. The US president added that the tariffs will likely range “from 60 or 70 percent to 10 or 20 percent.” With Trump indicating that there will be no extensions on the deadline, and ramping up pressure on South Korea and Japan, it likely would have been difficult for Rubio to discuss matters with the two US allies during his East Asia tour.
As the deadline for negotiating a deal on Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs quickly approaches, there are concerns that derailed trade talks could set back a Lee-Trump summit until September. Moreover, the fact that China is weighing inviting Lee to a ceremony to celebrate China’s Victory over Japan Day on Sept. 3 could further complicate the Lee administration’s diplomatic situation. A potential summit between South Korea and the US is inextricably linked to the outcome of trade negotiations.
A South Korea-US summit would also go hand in hand with a South Korea-Japan summit and a China-South Korea summit, making the matter of timing a key issue for Lee. During a press conference to mark his first month in office on Tuesday, the Korean president repeatedly emphasized his keynote of “pragmatic diplomacy” that prioritizes “the national interest,” a foreign policy he said is based on the “firm South Korea-US alliance, close trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan, and swift improvements to relations with China and Russia.” Lee faces the challenge of coordinating the timing of summits with the US, Japan and China.
China, which is actively seeking to improve relations with the Lee administration, has invited Lee to attend the ceremony for the 80th anniversary of its “victory in the people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war” on Sept. 3, but Lee, who has said that he prioritizes the South Korea-US alliance, is unlikely to attend the ceremony without having first had a tête-à-tête with Trump.
When it comes to a potential summit with the US, opinions are mainly divided between those pushing for a summit as early as possible and those who suggest it’s best to pursue a summit after sensitive issues have been resolved. The former camp argues that further delays to the summit will exacerbate the difficulties of resolving sensitive issues such as tariff negotiations, national defense budget increases, and possible adjustments to the role of US forces stationed in Korea, and as so a summit should happen by the end of August at the latest.
“Once working-level negotiations on trade are concluded, the presidents of the two countries should meet at a South Korea-US summit in August to confirm the conditions and results of the negotiations and to issue a joint statement,” suggested Min Jeong-hun, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
“Regarding sensitive issues like the adjustment of the role of US forces in Korea, it’s important for the two leaders to agree on a basic blueprint,” he said. “The more a summit is delayed, the more controversy there will be both domestically and abroad.”
On the other hand, some argue that there is no need for the Lee administration to rush a summit with the US. Park Jong-hee, a professor of political science and international relations at Seoul National University, is one such expert who holds this view.
“It would be better to hold a summit after agreements on sensitive issues have been made at a working level,” he added.
During the Moon Jae-in administration, the South Korean president visited the US 52 days into his term for a summit with Trump. Former President Park Geun-hye held a US summit 72 days into her term. Yoon held a US summit only 11 days into his term.
For the time being, the Lee administration will likely try to accelerate trade negotiations with the US in order to start untangling the web of bilateral issues. During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on Friday, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said he was scheduled to fly to Washington to take part in negotiations with senior US officials such as the US Trade Representative in Washington, DC, on Saturday.
“During the negotiations, we plan on submitting our proposals on various issues and offering our plans for mutually beneficial industrial cooperation between South Korea and the US.”
“Depending on how the negotiations go, we will review ways to pursue an extension of the deadline regarding reciprocal tariffs,” Yeo added.
Considering that the deadline is a few days away, on July 8, Yeo headed back to the US only five days after returning from a previous US visit.
By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter
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