Foreign minister meets with U.S. senators to discuss alliance, peninsular issues
Cho Hyun met with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons, with the two sides discussing Seoul’s effort to advance cooperation in key areas.
Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, center, meets with Sen. Chris Coons, left, Democrat of Delaware, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, in New York on Sept. 21.
YONHAP
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. senators in New York and discussed the Korea-U.S. alliance, Korean Peninsula issues and regional affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
Cho, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly's high-level week, held a meeting with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, and Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, together on Monday, according to the ministry.
Cho highlighted that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed during last week's bilateral talks in Washington to maintain close communication to ensure the faithful implementation of key summit agreements reached by their leaders and outlined in the joint fact sheet.
He called for active support from the U.S. Congress to ensure the swift advancement of strategic cooperation in key areas, including shipbuilding and nuclear energy.
The joint fact sheet, issued in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump the previous month, calls for Seoul to invest $350 billion in the United States, including $150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation, in exchange for lower U.S. tariff rates.
It also includes other security-related arrangements, such as Seoul's push to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.
Cho also shared his assessment of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and explained Seoul's efforts to achieve denuclearization and maintain peace on the peninsula.
Shaheen and Coons reaffirmed strong bipartisan support in Congress for the alliance between the two nations and welcomed Seoul's investments in the United States, noting that they have contributed to job creation and the rebuilding of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
The senators also pledged continued congressional attention and support for the smooth implementation of key summit agreements, while vowing to actively cooperate to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.
Yonhap
