Park Jin Proposes 'Diplomatic and Commerce 2+2 Talks' with the U.S.

"Cooperation on Securing Supply Chains... Secretary Raimondo Also Strongly Agrees on the Necessity"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Foreign Minister Park Jin proposed a "Diplomacy-Commerce 2+2 Consultation" during a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 15th (local time), Minister Park met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Raimondo in Washington DC to discuss bilateral issues including semiconductor cooperation and supply chain matters.

After a meeting with the Korean community, Minister Park told reporters, "I suggested that South Korea and the U.S., as a comprehensive strategic alliance, continue ministerial-level consultations to cooperate in areas such as securing supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region."

He added, "I also proposed that the foreign and commerce ministers hold '2+2' consultations, and Secretary Raimondo strongly agreed on the necessity of this."

He said, "South Korea and the U.S. need to make significant efforts for advanced technology and job creation," and "We also discussed operating a system jointly to respond early if there are issues with the supply of critical or strategic materials."

Furthermore, he added, "We talked about the need for Korea-U.S. cooperation in the nuclear power sector and advancing into overseas nuclear power markets."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained in a press release, "The two ministers exchanged broad opinions on the faithful implementation of agreements in economic security and practical cooperation areas such as semiconductor cooperation, supply chain stability, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and cooperation for advancing into third-country nuclear power markets."

The ministry also reported that the two ministers agreed that the May Korea-U.S. summit was successful and served as an opportunity to confirm the deepening of the Korea-U.S. economic and technological alliance.

The two ministers agreed that the IPEF, officially launched last month, should develop as a regional cooperation platform based on openness, transparency, and inclusiveness, and decided to continue close cooperation for this purpose.

Minister Park also requested support for the successful bid for the 2030 Busan Expo and emphasized the need for continued dialogue to enhance flexibility regarding the U.S. steel Section 232 measures and the importance of serious consideration by the U.S.

Meanwhile, concluding his visit to the U.S. and returning home on the same day, Minister Park evaluated the visit's outcomes, saying, "South Korea and the U.S. are encountering an opportunity to develop into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance on a global scale," and "It was meaningful to discuss various productive and concrete measures."

During his 3-night, 4-day visit to the U.S. starting on the 12th, Minister Park met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and various officials to discuss responses to North Korea's provocations and strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance among other issues.

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