Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul speaks on the phone on Jan. 23 with Marco Rubio, the new United States Secretary of State (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
By Yoo Yeon Gyeong
New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a phone call with ROK (Republic of Korea) Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Jan. 23, stated that the ROK -U.S. alliance is “a linchpin of peace and security, not only on the Korean Peninsula but in the region,” and invited him to visit the U.S.
Secretary of State Rubio mentioned that his phone call with Minister Cho within 24 hours of taking office demonstrates the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the same day that Minister Cho and Secretary Rubio held their first talks following U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and exchanged views on ROK-U.S. relations, the North Korea nuclear issue, and trilateral cooperation between the ROK, U.S. and Japan.
Minister Cho welcomed Secretary Rubio’s appointment, saying, “We hope for the further development of the ROK-U.S. alliance, which has been strong for over the past 70 years, in the second Trump administration.”
In response, Rubio affirmed the U.S. commitment to Korea’s defense as steadfast and unwavering.
In particular, the two ministers agreed to maintain close ROK-U.S. cooperation on the North Korea nuclear issue. They also agreed to further enhance trilateral cooperation among the ROK, U.S. and Japan, which was an important priority of the first Trump administration, and continue related discussions.
Both sides plan to coordinate schedules to hold a ROK-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington at the earliest opportunity.
dusrud21@korea.kr
