▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shake hands during their bilateral meeting on the 18th (local time).
The foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States pledged on the 18th (local time) to bring fruitful results to South Korea's strategic investments in the U.S. and to faithfully implement agreements made between the leaders of the two countries during their bilateral meeting.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached the consensus during their meeting held at the U.S. Department of State headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the morning of the same day.
The two ministers reaffirmed their firm commitment to the ironclad South Korea-U.S. alliance and shared the view that they will work to further strengthen the alliance, which serves as a core axis for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.
In particular, they agreed to make efforts to ensure that ongoing consultations between the two countries regarding strategic investment projects in the U.S. yield positive results.
The first project under the 350 billion-dollar U.S. investment plan was originally expected to be announced the previous day, Korean time, but it has been postponed to next week as the parliamentary report was delayed.
The two ministers also agreed to continue communicating for the faithful implementation of major agreements between the two leaders, including the joint fact sheet from last year's South Korea-U.S. summit.
The fact sheet at the time included agreements on security sectors such as mutual tariff cuts, investments in the U.S., and South Korea's construction of a nuclear-powered submarine.
The two ministers shared their assessments of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to continue close communication and coordination regarding North Korea policy, including North Korea-U.S. dialogue, while making efforts to achieve denuclearization, peace, and stability on the peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.
Minister Cho stated that the South Korean government, as a party directly involved in peace on the Korean Peninsula and a pacemaker, will actively support the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue, which U.S. President Donald Trump recently expressed intentions to pursue.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, including the war in Iran, Secretary Rubio explained U.S. efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.
In response, Minister Cho praised the active leadership of President Trump and the United States in resolving Middle East issues.
Minister Cho then explained the South Korean government's intent to make practical contributions toward restoring free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the two sides will continue close communication in this regard.
Previously, regarding the U.S. request for troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, President Lee Jae-myung stated firmly in a press conference the day before that "there will be no troop deployment that involves or engages in war."
However, President Lee remarked, "It is true that the Cheonghae Unit has already been dispatched (to the Middle East) to respond to threats to the safety of our citizens, such as from pirates.
It is true that we are reviewing and deeply considering ways to reinforce this."
The bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S. is the first in about seven months since February of this year.
It was held about three and a half weeks after the two ministers held a phone call last month.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the two ministers decided to communicate frequently to further expand the positive momentum for the development of bilateral relations and to ensure the smooth implementation of cooperation being pursued across various fields between the two countries.
(Photo provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yonhap News)
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