Overview

• Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington seeking rapid repatriation of about 300 Koreans detained in a Georgia immigration raid.
• Rubio conveyed that President Donald Trump directed swift consultations to align actions with South Korea’s requests, according to Seoul’s account of the meeting.
• Seoul asked that departures proceed without handcuffs or other restraints and that those leaving face no disadvantages if they later seek to reenter the United States.
• A planned charter flight was postponed due to unspecified U.S. circumstances as both sides conduct working-level consultations on release and return logistics.
• Cho proposed a bilateral working group exploring options such as a new visa category, while a U.S. readout highlighted continued cooperation on investment and security.