Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Thursday that "various speculations and voices of concern have recently emerged regarding Korea-US relations from some quarters, but they stem from deep affection and concern."
Cho made the remarks in a keynote speech delivered on his behalf by Second Vice Minister Kim Jina at a policy forum on "The Middle East War and the Future of Korean Peninsula Security" held at the National Assembly the same day. The comments are interpreted as addressing concerns that have surfaced in Korea-US relations, including restrictions on US intelligence sharing triggered by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's remarks on "old North Korean nuclear facilities" and the Coupang incident.
"We will continue to develop the Korea-US alliance, the foundation of our diplomacy and security, into a 'future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance,'" Cho said. "By faithfully implementing the historic agreement reached by the Korean and US leaders last year, we will continue to strengthen mutually beneficial and forward-looking cooperation across various fields, including security, the economy, strategic industries and advanced technology."
Cho also expressed his commitment to implementing the Korea-US security talks, which have reportedly faced setbacks due to the recent Coupang incident. "To play a more leading role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula, we will continue our efforts to secure advanced defense capabilities, build nuclear-powered submarines and pursue the transfer of wartime operational control," he said. He also emphasized that "progress in consultations with the United States on uranium enrichment is strategically important, not only from the energy security perspective of stably supplying nuclear fuel for power plants, but also in terms of expanding data centers that form the foundation of the AI era and meeting electricity demand."
Cho said the ministry is also conducting all-out diplomacy to respond to the energy security crisis. "We are making our best efforts to ensure the safety of our citizens and seafarers," he said. "Following three phone calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, we also dispatched a special envoy from the foreign minister to Iran to request the safety of our citizens."
