First Call Between Foreign Vice Minister and US Deputy Secretary of State: "Shared Commitment to Strengthening Strategic Alliance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke on the 18th with Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, discussing preparations for the Korea-U.S. summit, strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance, the Korean Peninsula issue, and regional and global matters.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that during the call, the first since Vice Minister Cho’s appointment, both sides agreed that U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Korea from the 20th to the 22nd and the Korea-U.S. summit would be an important turning point for strengthening the comprehensive strategic alliance between Korea and the U.S.

Both sides agreed to closely cooperate to ensure that the Korea-U.S. summit yields substantial and diverse outcomes.

Vice Minister Cho and Deputy Secretary Sherman also shared assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the possibility of additional provocations by North Korea. They agreed to strengthen cooperation to firmly maintain the robust Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and respond decisively to North Korean provocations.

Both Korea and the U.S. concurred on keeping the door open for dialogue to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and to consistently work toward resuming denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.

Regarding North Korea’s COVID-19 situation, both sides agreed to closely consult on humanitarian aid measures for North Korea in cooperation with the international community.

The U.S. side also expressed support for the Korean government’s policy on COVID-19 prevention assistance to North Korea.

Both sides agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan to respond to major regional and global issues.

Vice Minister Cho emphasized that the new government will further expand its role and contributions commensurate with its international status in responding to issues not only in the Indo-Pacific region but also global challenges.

Deputy Secretary Sherman welcomed the Korean government’s intention to expand its contributions to the international community through its vision as a global pivotal state and expressed gratitude for Korea’s leadership on major global issues such as the Ukraine situation and COVID-19 response.

Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed that Vice Minister Cho expressed hope that Deputy Secretary Sherman would visit Korea soon to continue consultations.

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