Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke by phone on the 16th with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and exchanged views on the recent situation in the Middle East and South Korea–U.S. relations.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this currency between the South Korean and U.S. foreign ministers was conducted at the request of the United States. In the currency, Minister Rubio explained the current state and outlook of the Middle East situation and asked for South Korea's attention to help restore peace and stability in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Minister Rubio emphasized, "In the long term, cooperation among multiple countries is more important than ever to secure safety in the Strait of Hormuz and stabilize the global economy and international oil prices," and said the two sides should stay in close communication to that end.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump on the 14th (local time) wrote on the social network Truth Social, "Hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other countries affected by (the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz) will send warships here."
The fact that the U.S. side first requested the currency and that Minister Rubio noted the importance of cooperation among multiple countries for safety in the Strait of Hormuz and stability in international oil prices appears to be a move to formalize President Trump's "SNS message" at the U.S. government level.
Minister Cho first expressed condolences for the U.S. service members who died due to the Middle East situation. Cho then said that peace in the Middle East and safe and free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are very important to the security and economies of all countries, including South Korea, and explained that the two sides should continue to consult closely.
Minister Cho also expressed gratitude for the U.S. side's active cooperation in helping South Korean nationals return home safely and asked for continued attention and support. Minister Rubio also said he would cooperate actively. The two ministers said they would meet soon for in-depth consultations on global coordination and pending issues in South Korea–U.S. relations.