Foreign Minister Meets U.S. Texas and Georgia Lawmakers, Highlights "Key Bases for U.S. Investment"

On August 12, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with members of the U.S. House of Representatives visiting South Korea and called for cooperation in various fields, including the economy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Minister Cho met with Representative Beth Van Duyne (Republican, Texas) and Representative Richard McCormick (Republican, Georgia), who are currently visiting South Korea. During the meeting, Minister Cho and the U.S. representatives exchanged views on Korea-Texas and Korea-Georgia cooperation, the Korea-U.S. alliance, the North Korean nuclear issue and North Korea, as well as the regional and global situation.

Minister Cho noted that Texas and Georgia serve as key bases for Korean investment in the United States and play a central role in economic cooperation between Korea and the U.S. He also emphasized that the Korea-U.S. alliance is evolving into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance, not only in security and the economy but also in science and technology cooperation such as artificial intelligence (AI), batteries, and nuclear energy, and highlighted the significant potential of these two regions.

Minister Cho also requested the U.S. Congress to pay attention and make efforts to create a favorable investment environment in the United States, including expanding professional visas for Korean nationals, in order to promote increased Korean investment in the U.S. and advance technological cooperation between the two countries.

Representative Van Duyne stated that Korea and the United States have maintained and developed close cooperation for a long time not only in security but also in the economic sector. She particularly noted that Texas is one of the fastest-growing states in the U.S. and welcomed further entry of Korean companies, building on the presence of existing firms such as Samsung Electronics.

Representative McCormick said that the two countries have developed a blood alliance based on military and security cooperation since the Korean War, and he highly appreciated Korea's significant contributions as a strategic ally, including the relocation of U.S. military bases in Korea. As a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, he also stressed that he would continue to pay close attention and provide support so that the strong Korea-U.S. alliance can play a significant role in ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "This meeting, following the minister's previous meeting with U.S. senators during his visit to the United States, serves as an opportunity to widely communicate the new government's foreign policy direction, commitment to developing the Korea-U.S. alliance, and North Korea policy to the U.S. Congress, while also further expanding the bipartisan support base within Congress for the continued development of the strong Korea-U.S. alliance."