Minister Cho of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau held talks on the 26th (local time) in New York, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the U.N. General Assembly.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister assessed the U.S. side's efforts regarding the recent detention of Koreans in the state of Georgia and said she hopes to swiftly launch a Korea-U.S. visa working group to produce practical and visible measures, including preventing a recurrence. She also stressed that the Korean nationals who returned home due to this incident must not face disadvantages when they seek to reenter the United States in the future.
Deputy Secretary Landau again expressed deep regret over the incident, saying, "President Donald Trump is personally paying attention to this issue, so we will ensure it is handled as a top priority within the U.S. government." He also noted, "We are closely consulting with the relevant departments, and we will move quickly on follow-up measures to launch the visa working group and prevent a recurrence," adding that some steps will be implemented soon.
The two sides also discussed economic issues. The Minister outlined the Korean government's position on the tariff negotiations and said she hopes for a reasonable outcome that can yield mutual benefits. In response, Deputy Secretary Landau said, "Although the negotiations are being discussed among economic authorities, we will work to ensure that the Korean side's position is sufficiently reflected within the United States."
The U.S. Department of State said in a release under the name of Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott that the two "reaffirmed the enduring value of the Korea-U.S. alliance and their commitment to expanding a future-oriented agenda." It added that the two sides shared the outcomes of the recent Korea-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers' meeting, including the goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea, and pledged to cooperate for peace, security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific.
The Department of State went on to say that Deputy Secretary Landau, referring to the investment plans announced at the Korea-U.S. summit last month, assessed that "Korea's investment contributes to rebuilding the U.S. industrial base and to shared prosperity." The two sides also built consensus on plans to form a bilateral working group to promote visits to and investment in the United States.
The two also noted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju, Korea, at the end of October and agreed that Korea, as the chair, should bring it to a successful close.