South Korea-US Diplomatic Authorities Hold Video Talks on Key Issues of the South Korea-US Alliance

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Ko Yoon-joo, Director General of the North American Affairs Bureau, held a video conference on the morning of the 2nd with Marc Knapper, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, to discuss key issues of mutual interest between South Korea and the United States.

This consultation between the directors general of South Korea and the U.S. has been regularly held via video or telephone since May last year to maintain close practical communication amid restrictions on face-to-face meetings due to COVID-19.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that this video consultation was held to review major pending issues between South Korea and the U.S.

Since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in January, the two countries have been strengthening consultations in the process of reviewing North Korea policy.

On the 25th of last month, Noh Kyu-duk, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Office for Peace and Security Affairs on the Korean Peninsula, held a video consultation with Sung Kim, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, regarding North Korea’s nuclear and related issues.

Both sides evaluated that close cooperation and coordination between South Korea and the U.S. are taking place during the U.S. review of its North Korea policy, and exchanged in-depth views on ways to cooperate to bring progress toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace.

Both sides agreed to continue dense consultations at various levels between South Korea and the U.S., including during the ongoing review of U.S. North Korea policy.

Earlier, on the 19th of last month, Director General Noh, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Sung Kim, and Takehiro Funakoshi, Director of the Asia and Oceania Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held the first trilateral video consultation on North Korea’s nuclear and related issues since the inauguration of the Biden administration.

At that time, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan evaluated the usefulness of trilateral cooperation for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asia region, and agreed to hold follow-up consultations at an appropriate time.

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