[Asia Economy Reporter Inho Yoo] Victoria Nuland, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Political Affairs, who is visiting Korea, met with Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the 27th to discuss the Korea-U.S. bilateral relationship and the roadmap for North Korea policy.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Under Secretary Nuland exchanged views on mutual interests including Korea-U.S. relations, North Korea and North Korean nuclear issues, regional and global issues during a luncheon meeting with Vice Minister Cho that lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The two sides agreed to hold the expanded deterrence strategy consultation group (EDSCG) at a high-level diplomatic and defense (2+2) meeting, which was agreed upon by the Korea-U.S. leaders last May, as soon as possible, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
As allies sharing values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, both sides agreed to continue expanding the scope of cooperation to the Indo-Pacific region and global level by jointly responding to new challenges and opportunities including security on the Korean Peninsula, supply chain recovery, advanced technology, and climate change.
To this end, they decided to further strengthen strategic communication and coordination at all levels and fields.
Vice Minister Cho and Under Secretary Nuland agreed to faithfully and swiftly implement the future vision for the development of the "Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance" announced by the Korea-U.S. leaders last May.
Furthermore, both sides agreed that North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats are urgent issues that must be prioritized, and they decided to cooperate more closely to promote a unified and strong response to North Korean provocations as well as a flexible and open approach in diplomacy toward North Korea.
On the same day in the afternoon, Under Secretary Nuland also held a meeting with Kim Gun, Chief Negotiator for North Korean Nuclear Issues of Korea’s Peace and Diplomacy Bureau.
At this meeting, consultations were held regarding the roadmap for North Korea policy being developed by the Korean government. The government is preparing a so-called “Bold Plan,” a roadmap that provides phased reciprocal measures in political, economic, and military fields in line with North Korea’s substantive denuclearization progress.
Chief Negotiator Kim and Under Secretary Nuland also discussed ways to strengthen Korea-U.S. cooperation to respond to North Korea’s cyber threats, and agreed to continue enhancing close communication and coordination at all levels regarding North Korea and North Korean nuclear issues.
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