Washington: Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-Joo held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Allison Hooker, on Friday, focusing on the bilateral alliance and coordination over North Korea's nuclear issue. The discussions were likely centered around the modernization of the alliance as Washington seeks to enhance its strategic partnership with Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Park engaged in a "strategic dialogue" session with Hooker, who serves as the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, to address pending issues in preparation for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This meeting marked the first vice foreign ministerial talks between South Korea and the United States since July 2021.

The dialogue aimed to explore ways to "modernize" the Seoul-Washington alliance and align their strategies concerning North Korea. This comes as the leaders of both nations are expected to hold discussions during the APEC summit, scheduled for October 31 to November 1 in Gyeongju, South Korea.

The United States has been advocating for an updated alliance framework to extend Seoul's defense posture beyond the Korean Peninsula, addressing potential threats from China. This initiative involves reassessing the role and presence of U.S. forces in South Korea under the concept of "strategic flexibility."

Speculation is rife that U.S. President Donald Trump might visit South Korea for a day on November 29 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, possibly bypassing the APEC summit in Gyeongju.