By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun had a meeting with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, who visited the Republic of Korea to attend the APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on Oct. 30.

The two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations, economic cooperation, cooperation in defense and the defense industry, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and major regional developments.

Minister Cho welcomed Minister Wong’s visit to Korea and noted that the Korean government highly values the continued development of ROK-Australia relations.

He expressed the hope that, through close communication, our bilateral ties will further deepen and that complementary cooperation will expand in strategic areas, including trade and investment, defense and the defense industry, critical minerals, and clean energy.

Minister Wong expressed appreciation for Minister Cho’s warm welcome and, noting the rapidly evolving international landscape, affirmed that cooperation among like-minded countries such as Korea and Australia is more important than ever.

Minster Wong agreed on the need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and expressed the expectation that the two sides would maintain close communication at all levels, including the Foreign and Defense Ministers’(2+2) Meeting.

Minister Cho explained the Korean government’s efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and asked for Australia’s continued support. Minister Cho expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to work closely together to build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The two ministers exchanged in-depth views on regional developments and agreed to continue to strengthen their solidarity as like-minded countries.