Seoul, Washington may reach deal on security issues before APEC summit: FM Cho

The minister made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency the previous day, as the Lee Jae Myung administration has been seeking to seal a deal with the Trump administration, linking tariff negotiations with security issues, including U.S. demands for higher defense cost sharing.

Lee held a summit with President Donald Trump in late August in Washington and delved into those issues, but no formal written agreement has been issued yet.

"A broad agreement has already been reached on the security front ... It would be best to reach a package deal, but even if that fails, (Seoul) plans to seek to seal and announce agreements one by one through consultations with the U.S.," Cho said.

The minister's remarks suggest that Seoul and the U.S. may first announce an agreement on security issues, rather than a broader package deal, as their tariff negotiations still drag on.

"(The government) is trying to make a breakthrough by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit," he said.

Lee and Trump are expected to hold another summit on the sidelines of the APEC gathering from Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in South Korea's Gyeonggju. The plan appears aimed at setting a favorable tone ahead of the leaders' talks and limiting any tariff-related snags from affecting their alliance.

Cho suggested that the deal may include an increase in South Korea's defense cost sharing and easing of its rights to spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment.

"For us, it means strengthening our defense capabilities where needed and carrying out various works we have been wanting to pursue through consultations with the U.S.," the minister noted.

He did not disclose the exact rate of increase, saying, "It will differ depending on what it includes and how." The Trump administration has been calling for allies to raise their defense spending by 3.5 percent of their gross domestic product.

Cho also confirmed a news report that Seoul and Washington have reached a broad deal allowing reprocessing and enrichment in South Korea, although he added that "uneasy" negotiations still linger.

Seoul has been seeking a relaxation from the "123 Agreement," a bilateral nuclear energy pact with Washington that prohibits spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment at 20 percent or above.

The top diplomat said the possibility of Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the U.S. president's APEC summit trip "cannot be ruled out." "If that happens, we will assist them fully. I hope it could open a path toward easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and building peace."

As reported previously, the United States agreed Tuesday to install a desk in its embassy in Seoul to help address visa issues facing South Korean businesses investing in the U.S., with a plan to start its operation next month, the foreign ministry said.