Stalled South Korea, U.S. security talks move toward restart with under secretary visit on horizon
Published: 30 May. 2026, 15:25
Updated: 30 May. 2026, 15:40
![Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Bom, left, poses for a photo with Donald Trump Jr. during a reception in Washington on Jan. 19. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/30/b027c088-db3f-42a8-b92e-e0c088a5a954.jpg)
Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Bom, left, poses for a photo with Donald Trump Jr. during a reception in Washington on Jan. 19. [YONHAP]
South Korea-U.S. security talks, which had been stalled for months, are moving toward a restart with an upcoming Tuesday's visit to South Korea by a government-wide U.S. security delegation led by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Officials said an unexpected dispute involving Coupang had emerged as a major factor behind the prolonged deadlock in negotiations.
A senior ruling party official familiar with both South Korean and U.S. affairs identified the cause of the months-long deadlock in bilateral security negotiations without hesitation on Friday.
The visit drew attention from political and diplomatic circles as it came at a time when U.S. diplomatic efforts had largely shifted toward the Middle East crisis.
The South Korean government had initially planned to include key security issues such as the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and expanded authority over uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing in the Joint Fact Sheet agreed upon by the two countries' leaders in November 2025. Follow-up discussions were then expected to continue during a visit to South Korea by a U.S. negotiation team in February.
But negotiations continued to go in circles.
The initial cause of the delay was the National Assembly's postponed handling of the Special Act on Investment in the United States, which coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's warning in January of renewed tariff increases. But even after the bill passed the National Assembly plenary session in mid-March, the door to security negotiations remained closed.
![Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, left, and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker pose for a photo before their talks at the State Department in Washington on May 19. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/30/9d6785a8-88f7-4e7c-b0fc-de481e016858.jpg)
Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, left, and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker pose for a photo before their talks at the State Department in Washington on May 19. [YONHAP]
The second trigger that hit bilateral ties was Coupang. The company first emerged as a sensitive issue between the two countries during Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to the United States in January. During a meeting with Kim, U.S. Vice President JD Vance raised concerns about possible discrimination by the South Korean government against U.S. companies including Coupang.
Although it was unusual for a senior U.S. official to directly mention a specific company by name, there are assessments that the seriousness of the matter was not fully recognized at the time.
Meanwhile, Coupang carried out an extensive lobbying campaign to elevate its legal risks into a trade issue between allies. In the first quarter alone, the company spent nearly $1.79 million on lobbying efforts in the United States, up 99 percent from the previous quarter, while engaging both the U.S. government and Congress.
"You could say there is no one in Congress untouched by Coupang's influence," a U.S. establishment figure close to President Donald Trump told JoongAng Ilbo. "South Korea cannot afford to view this simply as a corporate issue."
Tensions reached their peak in April.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and U.S. Vice President JD Vance pose for a photo at the White House in Washington on Jan. 23.
The U.S. side directly linked high-level diplomatic and security consultations with legal safety concerns involving Kim Bom, chairman of the board of Coupang Inc. In late April, Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo, visited Washington but returned without securing a schedule for follow-up security talks.
As conditions continued to worsen, South Korea's diplomatic and security officials focused on persuading the United States through a two-track strategy separating trade issues from security issues.
High-level contacts continued in succession, beginning with a meeting in February with Michael Needham, counselor of the U.S. Department of State, followed by talks in March with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre, April meetings with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers and a visiting U.S. Senate delegation, and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's visit to Washington on May 11.
![National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, right, speaks with a presidential official during President Lee Jae Myung's meeting with senior aides at the Blue House in Seoul on Feb. 5. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/30/acd8dd1b-365d-47bd-bf0f-f899b5610963.jpg)
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, right, speaks with a presidential official during President Lee Jae Myung's meeting with senior aides at the Blue House in Seoul on Feb. 5. [YONHAP]
In particular, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac publicly acknowledged the issue during a press briefing in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 23, saying, "It is true that the Coupang issue is affecting delays in security consultations." The remarks were viewed as a signal to the U.S. side that security negotiations should be separated from trade disputes.
"U.S. officials brought up the Coupang issue at every high-level meeting," a ruling party official said. "But after explaining our position once, twice and three times, our argument that trade and security should be treated separately ultimately gained traction."
Those behind-the-scenes efforts began producing results following First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo's visit to Washington from May 18 to 21. During the trip, Park met Hooker and agreed to hold a kickoff meeting on follow-up security measures, easing tensions for the time being.
Hooker, a former senior White House adviser for Asia, is considered a figure with extensive understanding of North Korea issues and South Korean security matters.
Still, some caution that it may be too early to feel reassured. "The visit by a heavyweight figure is a sign of diplomatic goodwill toward South Korea," a source who requested anonymity said. "But concerns remain that it could end as a gesture without concrete progress on specific issues, meaning the government's efforts will need to continue."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON JI-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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