The U.S. and South Korea held their first strategic dialogue at the deputy foreign minister level since the establishment of the Lee Jae Myung government, reaffirming their shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul reported that South Korea’s First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Park Yoon-joo, met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hucker on the afternoon of October 10 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul for the 10th U.S.-South Korea Deputy Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.
Both officials pledged to maintain a unified approach in addressing North Korea’s destabilizing actions.
They discussed strengthening economic cooperation, including modernizing the U.S.-South Korea alliance, securing supply chains for critical minerals, energy, and emerging technologies, as well as emphasizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.
The embassy stated that Deputy Secretary Allison Hooker reaffirmed the robust foundation of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which has been a cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific region for over seven decades.
He also reiterated the U.S.’s firm commitment to bolstering the alliance through a strong combined defense posture and the continued assurance of extended deterrence for South Korea.
This strategic dialogue marks the first deputy-level talks between the two countries’ diplomatic authorities in four years and three months, with the last one held in July 2021.
With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju approaching in about three weeks, both sides likely discussed the agenda for President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea and the upcoming U.S.-South Korea summit.
Diplomatic circles are currently focusing on the possibility that President Trump will visit Japan from October 27 to 29, followed by either a two-day visit or a same-day trip to Gyeongju.