Foreign Minister Cho Hyun Meets with U.S. Senators and Representatives in Washington to Discuss Korean Peninsula Issues

[Financial News] Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who is visiting the United States for ROK-U.S. foreign ministers' talks, met with members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives to discuss issues concerning the Korean Peninsula.
On the 17th (local time), Cho Hyun held separate meetings with Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee; Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a Republican from Ohio; and Representative Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York. They exchanged views on ROK-U.S. relations, issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, and regional affairs.
Cho Hyun is visiting the United States to hold ROK-U.S. foreign ministers' talks, about seven months after the previous meeting in February.
Cho Hyun asked for the active support of the U.S. Congress so that implementation of the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS) agreed upon by the leaders of the ROK and the United States can move forward swiftly, noting that cooperation between the two countries is more important than ever amid rapidly changing international conditions.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hagerty praised the Korean government for actively working to strengthen ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation based on the firm ROK-U.S. Alliance. He also noted that South Korea has developed the ROK-U.S. Alliance on mutually beneficial terms, building on its remarkable economic growth. As a strong supporter of the alliance, he said he would continue to play whatever role was necessary, including supporting Korean companies operating in his home state of Tennessee.
Jordan agreed on the need for cooperation to advance ROK-U.S. relations. He said pending issues between the two countries should be managed smoothly based on mutual trust and proposed maintaining continued communication so that the relationship can develop on mutually beneficial terms.
Meeks said that, amid rapidly changing international conditions, it was important for the ROK and the United States to coordinate closely to build peace on the Korean Peninsula based on strong mutual trust, while also pooling their wisdom to address the various challenges facing the international community. He also proposed discussing ways for the U.S. Congress to support progress in bilateral cooperation across multiple areas, building on bipartisan support for the ROK-U.S. Alliance in Congress.
Cho Hyun said, "Going forward, I will further solidify the ROK-U.S. Alliance through active communication not only with the administrations of the ROK and the United States but also with the U.S. Congress." He also asked for continued, unwavering support for the ROK-U.S. Alliance even after the November midterm elections.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter