South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed to maintain close communication regarding strategic investment projects between the two countries, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and North Korea policy.
According to Yonhap News on September 19, the two ministers held a bilateral meeting at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., on September 18 (local time) to discuss strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance and current issues facing both nations.
The ministers committed to working together to ensure that ongoing strategic investment projects yield positive results. The first project, valued at $350 billion, was initially expected to be announced the previous day, but the report to the National Assembly has been postponed to next week.
They also agreed to continue communication to faithfully implement key agreements made between the two leaders, including the 'fact sheet' from last year's Korea-U.S. summit. This fact sheet includes agreements on mutual tariff reductions, U.S. investments, and the construction of South Korea's nuclear-powered submarines in the economic and security sectors.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly concerning the Strait of Hormuz, was also a major agenda item.
According to Yonhap News, Secretary Rubio explained U.S. efforts to restore peace and stability in the region, including the conflict with Iran. Minister Park praised President Donald Trump's active leadership in addressing Middle Eastern issues.
Minister Park then expressed the South Korean government's commitment to making a tangible contribution to restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and suggested that the two countries continue to communicate closely on this matter.
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung stated at a press conference regarding the U.S. request for troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, "There will be no deployment that involves or engages in war." However, he noted that the Cheonghae Unit has already been dispatched to the region to respond to threats to national safety from piracy and that the government is indeed considering strengthening this deployment.
The two ministers also agreed to continue cooperation on North Korea policy. They shared assessments of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and committed to ongoing efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace through dialogue and diplomacy. They will maintain close communication and cooperation regarding North Korea policy, including U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
Minister Park conveyed that the South Korean government, as a key party and 'facilitator' of peace on the Korean Peninsula, will actively support the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue, which President Trump recently expressed a desire to pursue.
The two ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to the unwavering Korea-U.S. alliance, which serves as a cornerstone for peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.
This meeting marked the first bilateral meeting between the Korea and U.S. foreign ministers in about seven months since February of this year. It took place approximately three and a half weeks after the two ministers had a phone conversation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two ministers agreed to communicate regularly to expand positive momentum for the development of bilateral relations and to ensure smooth progress in various areas of cooperation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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