Concerns escalated as follow-up consultations between South Korea and the United States in the security sector were delayed beyond expectations, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 23rd that this is not a "red light" situation and reconfirmed both countries' willingness to advance core security agendas.
On July 23, 2026 (local time), a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attending the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Philippines, acknowledged through a briefing that follow-up consultations between South Korea and the United States in the security sector are running later than initially expected. However, he drew a line by stating that "the current situation is not a 'red light' situation," and added that both countries have agreed to resume consultations as soon as possible.
The official pointed to complex domestic and external factors as the cause of the delay. Specifically, the delay in Coupang's investment in South Korea was mentioned as one of the important factors affecting the pace of consultations. In addition, the explanation was that coordination of schedules between the two countries was difficult due to the prolonged U.S. Middle East conflicts and Ukraine issues, as well as the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November.
Despite the delay, the South Korean government continues its efforts to advance core security agendas. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Allison Hooker in Manila on July 22 (local time) to discuss major issues. At this meeting, Minister Cho strongly urged rapid progress in highly sensitive core security consultations, including the revision of the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Cooperation Agreement and the development of nuclear-powered submarines. This demonstrates the South Korean government's firm determination to pursue the originally targeted security cooperation without wavering despite the delays.
