Ministry of Foreign Affairs US Presidential Election TF Emphasizes 'Outreach' Ahead of New Administration Launch

From August, 1st Vice Minister-led Response Team... Expanding Contact with Biden's Associates

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As Joe Biden, the Democratic Party's president-elect, has secured victory in the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. election response task force (TF), which has been operating since last August under the leadership of First Vice Minister Choi Jong-geon, will shift to a system focused on outreach ahead of the new administration's inauguration.

On the 17th, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told reporters, "The operation of the U.S. election response TF, which has been active since last August, will transition to a system focused on outreach to the U.S. under the new U.S. administration," adding, "We will coordinate messages to the U.S. during the U.S. administration transition period and seek cooperation plans with the new administration."

In particular, the TF plans to establish and implement communication policies with the U.S. around the inauguration of the new administration in January next year.

The Foreign Ministry official said, "We plan to prepare and implement communication policy measures with the U.S. for each period before and after the new administration's inauguration," adding, "We aim to establish communication methods with the U.S. policy community on comprehensive issues including the Korea-U.S. alliance, the Korean Peninsula peace process, climate change, health security, democracy, nuclear disarmament, and non-proliferation, and to build cooperation plans with the U.S. administration."

Regarding the consultations between Korean and U.S. diplomatic authorities held on the 13th and the 'Second Explanatory Document,' it was reiterated that cooperation between the New Southern Policy and the Indo-Pacific Strategy reflected openness, inclusiveness, transparency, and respect for international norms.

On the same day, Ko Yoon-joo, Director General of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Mark Naepher, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who is visiting Korea, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare the 'Second Explanatory Document' summarizing the cooperation achievements between the New Southern Policy and the Indo-Pacific Strategy over the past year.

The Foreign Ministry official explained, "Cooperation has progressed in areas where synergy can be created with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy centered on the three pillars of the New Southern Policy," adding, "Compared to last year, the difference this year is the establishment of a working-level consultative body to discuss solidarity cooperation."

The Second Explanatory Document includes cyber security consultations held last August, as well as Korea-U.S. infrastructure cooperation and working group meetings from last February. Consequently, areas such as COVID-19, crime and drug response, cyber security, and marine environmental protection were added.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.