Washington: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met with U.S. lawmakers in Washington and discussed bilateral relations and issues related to the Korean Peninsula and global security, the foreign ministry said Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho, who is in Washington for a three-day trip from Thursday, met separately with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on Thursday. Cho emphasized the growing importance of close cooperation between Seoul and Washington amid rapidly changing international circumstances and called for active support from the U.S. Congress to ensure the swift implementation of the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS).
The JFS, released in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, outlines a range of commitments by both sides. These commitments include Seoul's pledge to invest US$350 billion in the United States in exchange for a reduced U.S. tariff rate, as well as cooperation in the nuclear sector and other security-related issues.
Sen. Hagerty praised Seoul's efforts to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo and pledged continued support for the alliance, including Korean companies operating in Tennessee. Rep. Jordan highlighted the need to manage bilateral issues based on mutual trust and continue efforts to strengthen the alliance. Rep. Meeks emphasized closer Seoul-Washington coordination on peace and security issues and stated that the U.S. Congress would continue to support bilateral cooperation based on bipartisan backing for the alliance.
Cho reiterated that Seoul would continue to strengthen the alliance through active communication with both the U.S. administration and Congress. He also urged lawmakers to maintain their support for the alliance following the November midterm elections. Cho is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday before holding a series of meetings with think tank experts and other officials through Saturday.