Korean Foreign Ministry "Close Cooperation on North Korea Nuclear Issue"... No Mention of North Korea in US Statement (Comprehensive)

First Phone Call Between Foreign Ministers of South Korea and the U.S. After Mark Rubio's Inauguration as Secretary of State
Discrepancy in Statements: South Korea Mentions North Korea, U.S. Omits It
Both Sides Emphasize Strengthening Trilateral Cooperation with Japan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that during the first call between the South Korean and U.S. foreign ministers on the 23rd, they agreed to maintain close cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue. However, the U.S. State Department's statement did not mention North Korea at all.

Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is speaking with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio on the morning of the 23rd. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Minister Cho Tae-yeol and newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio exchanged views on South Korea-U.S. relations, North Korea and the North Korean nuclear issue, and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan during a call on the morning of the same day. This was the first bilateral communication between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries since Rubio, the inaugural Secretary of State leading the foreign policy of the second Trump administration, took office on the 21st (local time).

Minister Cho welcomed Secretary Rubio’s inauguration and said, "I hope to further develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which has been firmly maintained for over 70 years, under the new U.S. administration." He also emphasized the need for close communication between the two countries, including calls between the heads of state, noting that although South Korea is currently under an acting presidential system, the government is being operated stably.

Marco Rubio, the new U.S. Secretary of State

Secretary Rubio expressed agreement on the necessity of summit diplomacy, stating that "the South Korea-U.S. alliance is a core pillar not only for the Korean Peninsula but also for peace and security in the region," according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also reaffirmed that the U.S. defense commitment to South Korea is as firm as iron. The South Korean and U.S. foreign ministers agreed to maintain "close cooperation" on the North Korean nuclear issue. They also decided to further develop the "South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation," which was emphasized during the first Trump administration, and plan to continue related discussions.

Secretary Rubio invited Minister Cho to discuss specific cooperation measures between South Korea and the U.S. Accordingly, both sides agreed to coordinate a concrete schedule to hold a South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington at the earliest possible time.

Following the first call between the two foreign ministers, the U.S. State Department also issued a press release under the name of spokesperson Tammy Bruce. The statement released by the State Department did not mention North Korea. However, it emphasized the importance of cooperation to address the "common challenges" in the Indo-Pacific region, which is generally interpreted as a reference to countering China while encompassing the North Korean issue.

In particular, the U.S. mentioned that the two foreign ministers emphasized the critical importance of strengthening trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

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