Minister Kang Kyung-wha Holds Brief Meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Earlier, South Korea, U.S., and Japan Foreign Ministers Also Gathered Together
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a brief pull-aside meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo immediately after the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan on the 15th (local time) during her attendance at the Munich Security Conference.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during this meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which is the linchpin of the Asia-Pacific region, and to continue efforts to smoothly resolve alliance issues such as defense cost-sharing negotiations.
An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers evaluated the active high-level exchanges between the two countries since January in San Francisco and agreed to maintain close communication at all levels."
At the earlier trilateral foreign ministers' meeting, the three countries also held in-depth discussions on cooperation measures regarding the North Korean situation.
Minister Kang held the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu. This trilateral meeting was held one month after the previous one on the 14th of last month in San Francisco, marking the seventh meeting since Minister Kang took office. On the Korean side, Ko Yoon-joo, Director General for North America, and Lee Moon-hee, Head of the North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Division, attended. From the U.S., Alex Wong, Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Policy at the State Department, and Ricky Waddell, Aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, participated. From Japan, Mori Takeo, Foreign Ministry Counselor, and Takizaki Shigeki, Director of the Asia-Oceania Bureau, were present.
During this meeting, the three ministers discussed trilateral cooperation measures related to North Korea and the North Korean nuclear issue, as well as regional and international issues and situations. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "The three ministers shared assessments of the current situation in North Korea and held in-depth discussions on response measures and future trilateral cooperation."
Additionally, cooperation measures related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were also discussed. The official said, "The three ministers exchanged views on recent COVID-19 spread, Middle East situations, and other regional and global issues," adding, "They agreed to continue exploring areas and methods for cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in regional and international arenas."
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