Secretary of State appears to agree with lawmaker's claim that Seoul has drifted toward China and the left; says Coupang Inc, Meta cases influenced trade negotiations; vows US military posture on Korean Peninsula unchanged

Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions from lawmakers at a Senate Budget subcommittee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington on Wednesday. [UPI]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions from lawmakers at a Senate Budget subcommittee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington on Wednesday. [UPI]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared Wednesday to agree with a lawmaker's assertion that South Korea's government has tilted toward China and the left, describing such shifts as a feature of democracy. Rubio also said Seoul's treatment of US companies had affected Washington's ability to reach a trade deal with South Korea.

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio was asked by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) whether South Korea's government had moved toward a pro-China stance. "In democracies, sometimes — as in the case of Japan — you elect leaders who are more favorable to American interests, and sometimes you elect leaders who have a different perspective," Rubio said. He added that this was "the unique aspect of dealing with democratic nations," and that as long as an election was legitimate, Washington would respect the sovereign choice of the people.

Rubio said that even when democratically elected leaders take positions contrary to US interests, that does not mean Washington wants to overthrow or remove them. "It just means we have to engage on the fact that they're doing things that are affecting our national interests," he said.

Issa also claimed that US companies including Coupang Inc and Meta face discrimination in South Korea. Rubio said US firms encounter difficulties and targeting not only in South Korea but also in the EU, which he said has been targeting American technology companies and taking unfair measures against them.

"Frankly, I think it's impacted our ability to get a trade deal done with South Korea — because of some of their attitudes toward American companies," Rubio said. It was the first time Rubio had publicly addressed South Korea's handling of the Coupang Inc case directly. He reportedly raised the issue in a meeting with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in February, when Cho visited Washington.

South Korea and the United States agreed in ongoing trade negotiations — which began last year — to reduce US tariffs on South Korean goods, including reciprocal and automotive tariffs, from 25 percent to 15 percent, with Seoul committing to $350 billion in investment in the United States. The tariff picture shifted somewhat after the US Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal tariffs in February. Washington has since been applying a temporary 10 percent global substitute tariff through next month while conducting a Section 301 investigation, which allows the United States to impose retaliatory tariffs on countries engaged in unfair trade practices. Attention is now focused on whether Washington will present South Korea with a new tariff rate exceeding the previously agreed 15 percent.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-California), who visited South Korea in late March and met with President Lee Jae-myung and others, asked Rubio whether the US extended nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula had changed. "Our posture there remains in place," Rubio said. "We're not trying to provoke a crisis there, get into a war or cause any problems. We have a very strong relationship with South Korea at the working level."

Responding to a question from Rep. Young Kim (R-California) about the White House's Maritime Action Plan — announced in February to rebuild the US shipbuilding industry — Rubio said the plan allows for a few vessels to be built in South Korea, in addition to ships constructed domestically.

The Maritime Action Plan includes a provision allowing foreign shipbuilders to construct an initial portion of contracted vessels in their home countries — through capital investment in US shipyards, acquisition of US shipyards, or partnerships with US shipbuilders — until domestic US production becomes viable. However, building entire US vessels in South Korea would first require a presidential waiver suspending restrictions on the construction of US ships outside the United States.


kate01@heraldcorp.com