Minister Cho Tae-yul of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared opinions on the development of the Korea-U.S. alliance and economic cooperation during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the evening of the 6th.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Cho expressed gratitude for the strong support the United States has provided during Korea's political phone call, and urged Secretary Rubio to pay attention to ensuring an early phone call between the leaders of Korea and the U.S. right after the presidential election on the 3rd of next month.
Minister Cho also stated the need to strengthen the alliance based on a strong combined defense posture against North Korea and suggested close cooperation to seek mutually beneficial solutions during recent tariff discussions between the trade authorities of Korea and the U.S.
However, he expressed his intention to have sufficient time to negotiate the tariffs.
Minister Cho urged Secretary Rubio to ensure that Korea’s status as a U.S. ally and a signatory to the free trade agreement (FTA) is adequately considered during Korea-U.S. trade discussions, to which Secretary Rubio responded, "We will actively cooperate."
Minister Cho also emphasized that the Korea-U.S. alliance has been strengthened based on three pillars: the Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, extended deterrence, and economic and technological partnerships. He suggested that they actively cooperate to further develop these aspects.
In response, Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrence to Korea by utilizing the full range of U.S. military capabilities.
The two ministers agreed to advance the modernization of the Korea-U.S. alliance centered on common economic and national security goals, and this will be pursued through trade consultations led by Treasury Secretary Scott Vertz and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
This phone call appears to have taken place with consensus on the need for communication amid changes in each country's situation, along with discussions on current issues such as economic cooperation.
Korea began the Iju-ho presidential delegation system on the 2nd of this month after the resignations of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, while in the U.S., former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was recently dismissed, and Secretary Rubio is temporarily serving as National Security Advisor.