Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with a senior US State Department official in France on Thursday, where the two sides discussed maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the South Korea-US alliance, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.
Cho met Allison Hooker, US undersecretary of state for political affairs, who attended the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting as Washington’s chief representative.
During the meeting, Cho expressed concern over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing the urgency of ensuring safe navigation for all vessels, including South Korean ships. He also stressed the need for de-escalation measures to stabilize global energy and logistics supply chains and called for close communication between the two countries.
On Seoul-Washington relations, Cho and Hooker welcomed progress in implementing bilateral investment agreements, including the recent passage of South Korea’s special law on US-bound investment. They agreed to promptly begin follow-up working-level consultations to implement security-related commitments outlined in the joint fact sheet from the recent South Korea-US summit.
Amid ongoing global uncertainties, Cho and Hooker underscored the importance of maintaining a robust bilateral alliance and combined defense posture. They also agreed to maintain close communication on regional issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in May.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordination is underway to arrange a meeting between Cho and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo foreign ministers’ meeting.
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com
