1 of 2 | Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget request for the State Department in the Dirksen Senate Office Building near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
June 4 (Asia Today) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that South Korea's treatment of American companies has affected Washington's ability to conclude a trade agreement with Seoul.
Rubio made the remarks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, where he also addressed Republican claims that South Korea is moving in a pro-China and left-leaning direction. Rubio said the United States respects the sovereign choices made by voters in democratic countries but must engage when actions by those governments affect U.S. interests.
The hearing was held to review the State Department's budget request and the implementation of the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said during the hearing that South Korean democracy had "taken a strong bent to the left" and was "opening up more avenues toward China." He also claimed South Korea had begun to "oppress" a number of U.S. companies, including Meta and Coupang.
