Cho Tae-yeol's First Multilateral Meeting Attendance... Possibility of Discussing North Korean Provocations with South Korea, US, and Japan

Minister Cho Departs for Brazil to Attend G20 Meeting
First Meeting with US and Japan Foreign Ministers Since Inauguration
Discussion Expected on North Korean Military Provocations and Summit Talks

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol is departing through Incheon International Airport on the 20th to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol departed on the 20th to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meeting is expected to include U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, with discussions anticipated among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan regarding North Korea's provocations.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Cho is scheduled to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the 21st and 22nd (local time). This will be Minister Cho's first multilateral meeting since his appointment on the 10th of last month. The meeting's themes are the G20's role in geopolitical conflicts and the reform of global governance.

Senior Deputy Spokesperson Lim said at the regular briefing that "Minister Cho will call for G20-level unity for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Korean Peninsula, and explain South Korea's contributions toward this." He added, "He will also present the direction that key multilateral organizations such as Multilateral Development Banks (MDB), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations must continue to be strengthened and reformed."

The meeting will also be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating a trilateral meeting among the foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. Following the strengthened cooperation since last year's Camp David summit, this is likely to further develop trilateral cooperation and send a strong message in response to North Korea's recent successive military provocations.

There is also speculation about discussions regarding Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's visit to South Korea. On the 14th, private broadcaster Fuji TV reported that Prime Minister Kishida is considering visiting Seoul to attend the official opening game of the U.S. Major League Baseball at Gocheok Dome on the 20th of next month and holding a summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol. Although both governments denied that any plans are currently underway, there is a possibility that they will meet again around this opening game to discuss cooperation measures.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is attending and delivering a speech at the Japan-Ukraine Economic Revitalization Promotion Meeting held on the 19th at the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) Hall in Tokyo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, discussions on the improvement of North Korea-Japan relations are expected. Prime Minister Kishida is actively pursuing a North Korea-Japan summit to recover his approval ratings, and North Korea recently left the door open by stating through a statement by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, that "there may come a day when the Prime Minister (Kishida) visits Pyongyang." However, given the significant differences in positions on the core issue of Japanese abductees, the likelihood of realization is considered low.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also scheduled to attend this G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, drawing attention to whether he will have a first meeting with Minister Cho. Even if a bilateral meeting does not take place, they may meet and converse at the venue. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "Since multiple ministers from various countries will be in one place, including dinners, there will likely be opportunities to meet and exchange greetings." Russia holds the position of blaming the U.S. and its allies for North Korea's nuclear development and provocations, so if dialogue occurs, Russia-North Korea cooperation is expected to be a major agenda item.

Wang Yi, Director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (also serving as Foreign Minister), will not attend the meeting due to his Spain and France tour schedule. Consequently, following the Munich Security Conference, another South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting was not held. Minister Cho and Wang Yi formed a consensus on the development of South Korea-China relations during their first phone call on the 27th of last month, which also served as an introductory meeting. At that time, Wang Yi also invited Minister Cho to visit China.