Cho Hyun to attend G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting; may discuss deploying Cheonghae Unit with Rubio

[Financial News] South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will depart to attend the second Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which will be held in Paris, France, from the 8th to the 11th.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th, the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting is expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other issues, following the G7 Summit last June. Cho may hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Cho previously met with Rubio on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on the 30th of last month (local time).
If a bilateral meeting between the South Korean and U.S. foreign ministers takes place, they are also expected to discuss expanding the operational area of the South Korean government's Cheonghae Unit. On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense began the process of seeking National Assembly approval to double the unit's operational area, extending it from its current waters in the Gulf of Aden to areas near the Strait of Hormuz. This comes eight months after U.S. President Donald Trump asked countries to send warships to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz last March.
In addition, discussions are needed on the smooth implementation of South Korea-U.S. security consultation matters following the U.S. midterm elections. An MOFA official said, "Regardless of changes in the makeup of the U.S. Congress, we will continue consultations with the U.S. administration, as well as Congress and state governments, to smoothly manage key South Korea-U.S. economic and trade issues and ensure that Korean companies' investment activities in the U.S. proceed smoothly."
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter