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
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo In their first meeting since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States affirmed their shared goal of North Korea's complete denuclearization and agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan on July 31, 2025 (local time). They also agreed to further strengthen the ROK-US alliance and modernize it to enhance its strategic importance amidst the changing security environment in the region. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun met with Secretary of S
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Dr. Khaled El-Enany, former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt, on May 30, 2025, during the latter’s visit to Korea. Minister Cho welcomed former Minister El-Enany’s visit to Korea and appraised growing cooperation between Korea and Egypt in various areas including culture and tourism, as the two countries celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Former Minister El-Enany emphasized the great potential for cooperation between Korea and Egypt. He also informed M
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a luncheon meeting in Seoul with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Dr. Mamadou Tangara, who is visiting Korea to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries on May 23. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations, cooperation in key sectors, cooperation on the international stage, and regional affairs. Korea and Gambia established diplomatic relations on April 21, 1965. The Gambian delegation included Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez, Minister of
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, who is visiting Korea on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum (May 28-29), and exchanged views on expanding economic cooperation between Korea and Africa and strengthening the Secretariat's capacity on May 27, 2025. Minister Cho welcomed Mr. Mene to Korea and expressed his pleasure that Korea, which has been supporting the accelerated implementation of the AfCFTA since its inception in 2021, will be able to utili
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, who is on an official visit to Vietnam (April 15-17), held the Second Foreign Ministerial Dialogue and Working Dinner with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on April 15, where they discussed ways to develop bilateral relations in all fields and regional and international issues, including the North Korea issue. The two ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and decided to strengthen cooperation in
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with a seven-member delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Study Group on Korea (CSGK), co-chaired by Representatives Ami Bera and Jennifer Kiggans on April 14. They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including the U.S.-ROK alliance and economic cooperation, and regional affairs, including military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Minister Cho welcomed the bipartisan House of Representatives CSGK delegation to South Korea and recognized that the CSGK has been a strong supporter of the U