Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with key U.S. senators and major officials in charge of security, economy, and technology at the White House on the 1st (local time) and discussed the Korea-U.S. alliance and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 2nd.
Visiting Washington D.C. to attend the Korea-U.S. Ministerial meeting, Minister Cho met with Senator Bill Hagerty and Senator Pete Ricketts, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Asia-Pacific, and also spoke with Senator Dan Sullivan.
Minister Cho emphasized the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and assessed that the conclusion of the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement has strengthened the foundation for deepening strategic economic cooperation between the two countries. He urged congressional support to enable future-oriented collaboration in science and technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, and small modular reactors (SMR).
Senators noted that they would actively support the continued substantial effects of Korea's active investment in key areas of cooperation, such as shipbuilding and manufacturing, as a result of this tariff agreement, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In particular, Senator Ricketts emphasized that the U.S. Congress supports maintaining the current level of U.S. Forces Korea and the provision of U.S. extended deterrence, highlighting the commitment to robust defense guarantees for Korea.
Minister Cho also met with senior White House officials in succession. In a meeting with Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor Andrew Baker, Minister Cho congratulated him on the conclusion of the tariff negotiations and appreciated Baker's active communication and cooperation for the development of the Korea-U.S. alliance. He also urged that the upcoming summit serves as an opportunity to solidify cooperative achievements between the two countries.
Minister Cho met with Kevin Hassett, Chairperson of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, becoming the first Korean government official to do so. At this meeting, Minister Cho requested the U.S. cooperation for the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Additionally, he confirmed the importance of scientific and technological cooperation for establishing a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance in a meeting with Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.