The foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the goal of North Korea's complete denuclearization during their first meeting since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration and agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
On the 31st (local time), Foreign Minister Park Hyun met for the first time since his inauguration with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The State Department noted after the meeting that "the two ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the full implementation of international sanctions" and expressed concern over the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
According to the State Department, the two ministers emphasized that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is essential for the security and prosperity of the international community.
They also reportedly discussed the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan as essential for building deterrence and resilience against regional security threats.
The two ministers are expected to have coordinated the schedule and agenda for President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the U.S. to hold the first summit between President Lee and President Donald Trump.
Earlier, President Trump announced through social media that a South Korea-U.S. trade agreement had been reached and stated that President Lee would come to the U.S. for bilateral talks within two weeks.
Minister Kim Jeong-gwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who met with President Trump's negotiating team, also noted that "President Trump very much wants to meet with President Lee," and mentioned that he instructed Secretary Rubio to schedule a summit as soon as possible.
The State Department announced that the two ministers also discussed efforts to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, enhance supply chains, and cooperate on key and emerging technologies for the prosperity of both countries.