Seoul: The US State Department announced that the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States agreed to continue close cooperation in the fields of civilian nuclear energy, nuclear-powered submarines, and shipbuilding during their talks in Washington on Tuesday evening.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reaffirmed their commitment to the ‘complete’ denuclearization of North Korea, stated US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

The two ministers held their talks at the US State Department as Seoul intensified its diplomatic efforts to address US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to raise “reciprocal” tariffs on South Korean automobiles, lumber, and pharmaceuticals from 15% to 25%.

‘Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho discussed ways to strengthen the US-Korea alliance, focusing on a future agenda consistent with the spirit of the summits between President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Washington, DC, and Gyeongju, South Korea,’ said Begut.

He added, ‘The two ministers agreed to continue working closely on civilian nuclear energy, nuclear-powered submarines, shipbuilding, and increasing South Korean investment to rebuild critical US industries.’