Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to Visit Japan Before U.S.; South Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting Set for 29th

Cho Hyun, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will visit Japan on the 29th for his first overseas trip since taking office and hold talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. This decision comes ahead of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for the 31st in the United States, with Japan being the first destination.

According to diplomatic sources on the 28th, Minister Cho will visit Tokyo, Japan, for a two-day, one-night trip starting on the 29th. After holding the South Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo on the 30th, he will head directly to Washington, United States, to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the South Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the 31st (local time).

Minister Cho previously stated to reporters on his first day commuting to work after being nominated, "We need to break away from the stereotype that the United States must be the first destination after taking office." This visit to Japan is interpreted as an effort to emphasize his commitment to South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation.

Additionally, since Japan concluded its tariff negotiations with the United States before South Korea, it is expected that related opinions will also be exchanged.