South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. State Department on Friday that his country was ready to make a concrete contribution to efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Cho called for close communication to be maintained on the Strait of Hormuz. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had previously not ruled out sending combat units to the strait and said options for contributing to the safeguarding of freedom of navigation were being considered.
U.S. policy on North Korea
During the meeting, Cho and Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance between South Korea and the United States. The two sides agreed to continue working to support the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy.
Cho said Seoul would actively support the U.S. administration’s efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea and would play a peacemaking role. The two sides decided to maintain close communication and cooperation within the framework of North Korea policy, including efforts to promote dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
Strategic investments in the United States
Cho called on Rubio to work together to ensure positive outcomes from consultations on South Korea’s strategic investment projects in the United States. Seoul had pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States under a bilateral trade agreement signed last year.
Rubio said the U.S. State Department would work to successfully conclude the consultations. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott also said the two countries had pledged to continue cooperation in key strategic sectors, including semiconductors.
Rubio underscored the importance of cooperation to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that fair, transparent and equitable business conditions were needed for U.S. companies operating in South Korea and that the supply chains of key sectors needed to be secured.
Pigott said the two sides had reaffirmed their commitment to the goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea. The spokesman also highlighted the importance of cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea for regional security.
