By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first telephone conversation with Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen on November 5, exchanging views on bilateral relations and the international situation.

Minister Cho noted the strengthening of substantive cooperation between South Korea and Finland in areas such as the defense industry and key minerals, and expressed his hope that they would deepen cooperation across all sectors through active high-level exchanges.

Minister Valtonen congratulated Minister Cho on his inauguration and praised South Korea's successful hosting of the APEC summit as the chair of this year.

Furthermore, Valtonen suggested that given the significant potential for cooperation between the two countries in areas such as the defense industry, science and technology, economic security, and connectivity, they should discuss ways to further develop this potential and elevate their relationship.

Minister Cho expressed his agreement and expressed his hope for continued close consultations.

In addition, the two ministers exchanged views on regional situations, including those on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and agreed to meet frequently in the future through multilateral conferences and mutual visits to discuss in-depth ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.