Postponement of Scheduled South Korea-US Foreign Ministers Meeting on G20 Occasion

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The South Korea-United States foreign ministers' meeting, which was scheduled to be held on the 30th (local time) in Rome, Italy, on the occasion of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit, has been postponed.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken were originally scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. (9 p.m. Korean time) that day, but the meeting was delayed by an hour and, due to delays in the plenary session, the schedule is being readjusted to hold the meeting on the 31st.

If the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting is held on the 31st, it will be the third meeting in 39 days following the meeting in New York, U.S., on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly on the 22nd of last month, and the meeting in Paris, France, on the 5th during the OECD Ministerial Council.

The meeting is expected to mainly discuss the results of the previous day's meeting between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden, including a declaration to formally end the Korean War, humanitarian aid to North Korea, and ways to resume dialogue with North Korea.

Both South Korea and the U.S. have recently continued consultations at various levels and are reported to have reached a certain consensus on the intent of the declaration to formally end the war, but there are some differences in views regarding specific conditions and timing, so the two ministers may conduct additional coordination.

Discussions surrounding humanitarian aid to North Korea seem to be nearly finalized, focusing on quarantine supplies, drinking water, and sanitation.

It is also of interest whether the Taiwan issue, which has become a hot topic in U.S.-China tensions, will be raised.

Secretary Blinken recently urged UN member states to support Taiwan's participation in the UN system, and he may emphasize this issue to South Korea as well.

Meanwhile, on the 29th, Minister Chung also met with Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, to discuss cooperation measures for the early restart of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, including the declaration to formally end the war.