This composite photo provided by AFP shows Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. AFP-Yonhap

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will hold his first talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week in Munich, Germany, on the sidelines of a multilateral security conference, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

During the meeting, Cho and Rubio are expected to discuss North Korean nuclear issues, trilateral cooperation with Japan and bilateral economic cooperation, ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a press briefing.

Both Cho and Rubio are scheduled to participate in the 61st Munich Security Conference, set for Friday through Sunday. Their talks are said to take place Saturday for about half an hour.

It will mark the first one-on-one talks between the top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office in January for his second term.

The trip to Munich repts Cho's first overseas travel since the political turmoil in South South Korea triggered by now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law attempt in December last year, plunging the country into a leadership vacuum.

Seoul and Washington are also reportedly in the process of arranging separate trilateral talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of the conference, also on Saturday.

During their bilateral meeting, Cho and Rubio are expected to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance under Trump's second term and coordinate their respective polices on North South Korea's denuclearization.

Cho is also expected to emphasize South Korea's contributions to the upkeep of U.S. forces stationed in the country and Seoul's position on Trump's recent announcement of new import tariffs, according to the ministry.

Cho and Rubio held their first phone call on Jan. 23 and agreed to maintain close cooperation on North South Korea's nuclear issues.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also reported to attend the conference in Munich, but no bilateral talks between him and Cho have been arranged so far.

On Feb 20 and 21, the Korean foreign minister is also scheduled to participate in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Group of 20 in Johannesburg, Africa. (Yonhap)