By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Radmila Shekerinska, Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), who is visiting South Korea, and exchanged views on ways to deepen the South Korea-NATO partnership on Oct. 20, 2025. Minister Cho welcomed Deputy Secretary General Shekerinska's visit and noted that, following last month's visit by NATO Military Committee Chairman Dragone, this visit demonstrates the active high-level cooperation between South Korea and NATO in both defense and diplomatic spheres. Minister Cho stated that Korea will
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard on October 16. Minister Stenergard is visiting South Korea on October 15 and 16. The two ministers exchanged views on practical cooperation and regional affairs. Minister Cho noted that high-level exchanges between the two countries have been revitalized since the launch of the new administration, including the visit of the Crown Princess Couple of Sweden and the subsequent meeting between the foreign ministers. He expressed hope that these high-level exchanges would lead t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a meeting with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the United Nations Headquarters on September 25. The two sides exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, future substantive cooperation plans, and regional and international situations. Minister Cho expressed his delight at the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries following the inauguration of the new governments of Korea and Canada this year, following the bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on September 18, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-Palestine relations and regional affairs in the Middle East. This call also served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration. Minister Aghabekian congratulated Minister Cho on his assumption of office and proposed maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Cho likewise congratulated Minister Aghabe
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot, who is visiting South Korea from September 17-18, 2025, on September 18. They exchanged views on high-level exchanges, practical cooperation, and regional and international affairs. Minister Cho noted that this meeting was his first bilateral meeting with a European country since taking office and that it was particularly timely given that it marked the first bilateral visit by a Belgian Foreign Mini
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks and a dinner with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, in Beijing, China, on September 17. They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, including South Korea-China relations and issues on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Cho emphasized, “Today's meeting, as the first South Korea-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting since the inauguration of our new government, holds significance for the development of bilateral relations.” He expressed hope that, taking
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations (DPO) at the United Nations, who is visiting South Korea, on September 15. They exchanged views on ways to strengthen South Korea-UN cooperation and the future development direction of UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). Minister Cho emphasized Korea's commitment to continue contributing to enhancing the adaptability and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations as a major troop- and finance-contributing nation. He also called for further strengthening cooperation
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met separately with U.S. Senators Andy Kim (Democrat, New Jersey), Todd Young (Republican, Indiana), and Bill Hagerty (Republican, Tennessee) in Washington on September 10 and 11 (local time), exchanging views on the detention of Korean nationals and measures to improve the visa system to prevent recurrence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on September 12. Minister Cho stated, “Our citizens are deeply concerned about the situation where a large number of our professional personnel, who visited the U.S. to faithfully carry out i
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, currently visiting the United States, met with U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on September 10 (local time). They exchanged views on the swift resolution of the situation involving Korean nationals detained in Georgia by U.S. authorities, follow-up measures to the Korea-U.S. summit (August 25), high-level Korea-U.S. diplomatic schedules, and North Korea issues. Minister Cho conveyed President Lee Jae-myung's special regards to President Donald Trump and expressed the expectation that the strong ROK-U.S.
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on September 3, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-Israel relations and regional affairs in the Middle East. This call also served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration. Minister Sa’ar congratulated Minister Cho on his assumption of office and proposed maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Cho appreciated that both countries have continued to develop friendly and cooperative relatio
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, which also served as an inaugural greeting on Sept. 8. They exchanged views on bilateral relations and the international situation. Minister Barrot congratulated Minister Cho on his appointment, noted the strengthening of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries across various fields, and expressed his hope for continued close collaboration, particularly in key areas such as AI, space, and defense. Minister Cho noted the sustained expansion of bilateral t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun delivered a lecture titled “Key Focus Areas and Direction of the New Administration's Foreign Policy” to the diplomatic corps in Korea at the “2025 First High-Level Policy Lecture for Ambassadors to Korea” on September 4. The ‘High-Level Policy Lecture for Ambassadors to Korea’ is a regular lecture platform established by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy to enhance foreign understanding and support for key policies of the Korean government. Minister Cho served as the speaker for this year's inaugural event. As this was the first exc
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hosted a welcome banquet for the ‘11th World Korean Politicians Forum’ on September 2, encouraging Korean politicians actively serving around the world and urging them to continue serving as bridges between Korean communities abroad and their homeland. In his dinner address, Minister Cho stated that the network of Korean politicians worldwide broadens our diplomatic horizons and serves as a powerful voice for Korea in the policy-making processes of various countries. Furthermore, Minister Cho pledged to respect the wisdom and experience
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, together with Joseph Yun, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy, Kim Seok-ki, Chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Kim Gi-hyeon, Chair of the Special Committee for Supporting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and National Assembly members Kim Geon, Kim Sang-wook, and Kim Tae-Seon, visited HD Hyundai’s Ulsan Shipyard to inspect shipbuilding operations and major facilities on August 13. This visit was organized amid continued emphasis on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the shipbui
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong on August 4, 2025. This was their first phone call since Minister Cho’s inauguration and served as a courtesy exchange. In the phone call, they exchanged views on global affairs and ways to strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Minister Cho noted that the new Korean administration and the second-term cabinet of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were both launched around the same time earlier this year. He reitera