U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel reported on September 14 that she had a meaningful discussion with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jin-ah regarding the implementation of agreements outlined in the joint fact sheet from the U.S.-South Korea summit.
Steel shared this update on X (formerly Twitter). The discussions likely covered topics such as U.S. investment, the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, and the enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, all of which were included in the joint fact sheet released in November following the summit in Gyeongju last October. The imminent arrival of South Korea's first major investment in the U.S. is also believed to have influenced these discussions. South Korea has committed to a total of $350 billion in investments in the U.S., including $150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation and $200 billion in strategic investments.
Deputy Minister Kim also posted on X on September 11, stating, "I had the pleasure of meeting Ambassador Steel for the first time." He expressed confidence that Steel would effectively serve as a bridge for close communication and cooperation between the two countries, given her extensive experience, network, and genuine understanding of South Korean society. He added, "I look forward to continuing our conversations with Ambassador Steel in the future."
Prior to her meeting with Kim, Steel also met with Foreign Minister Park Jin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yun-ju, and Jeong Yeon-du, head of the Foreign Strategy and Information Bureau (Vice Minister level). Additionally, she has held discussions with Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang and Minister of National Defense An Gyeong-baek.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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