Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday he expects new U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Michelle Steel to play a key role in helping resolve pending issues between South Korea and the United States, citing her "direct" access to Washington.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho expressed his anticipation of engaging in various consultations on South Korea-U.S. issues. He highlighted the advantage of Steel's direct line to Washington, which he believes can be instrumental in addressing complex matters within South Korea-U.S. relations. Steel arrived in South Korea on Thursday to assume her post, which had been vacant since January last year.

Cho is expected to meet with Steel in person Tuesday when she submits a copy of her credentials to the foreign ministry. Steel's arrival occurs as Seoul and Washington face a series of pending security and economic issues, including South Korean investment pledges in the U.S. and tensions over Seoul's regulatory action against U.S.-listed Coupang Inc. following a massive data breach.

Separately, Cho mentioned that he anticipates a visit from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to South Korea "soon," and he hopes to discuss Wang's trip to North Korea in April.

Regarding a recent data breach at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, which is believed to have exposed the personal information of all South Korean diplomats, Cho stated that the ministry plans to take strong measures, including building a firewall to prevent further hacks.