By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee 

While visiting Washington, D.C., to attend the ROK-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Minister Cho Hyun met with Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific on Aug. 1, 2025 (local time).

Later that afternoon, he spoke by phone with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The two sides exchanged views on the ROK-U.S. alliance, ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation, North Korea's nuclear and North Korean issues, and regional and global situations.

Minister Cho emphasized the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and praised the recent ROK-U.S. tariff agreement for strengthening the foundation for deepening strategic economic cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Cho also requested support from Congress to advance future-oriented cooperation between South Korea and the United States in science and technology areas such as AI, quantum, and Small Modular Reactor (SMR).

The senators expressed their expectations that this tariff agreement will further deepen the cooperative relationship between the two countries and the ROK-US alliance, and pledged to actively support South Korea's active investment in key areas of cooperation, such as shipbuilding and manufacturing, to ensure that it leads to tangible results, including job creation in the United States.

Senator Hagerty stated that he would continue to work to develop cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan at the private sector level, including businesses, to strengthen economic security, including technological cooperation and energy supply chain development.

He also expressed his intention to actively explore ways to enhance cooperation between the recently launched U.S.-Korea congressional alliance and the US Congress.

Rep. Ricketts, Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, emphasized the need to cooperate more closely with key allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including South Korea and Japan, to address regional security challenges.

He emphasized that the US Congress supports the US's steadfast defense commitment to South Korea, including maintaining the current level of USFK and providing extended deterrence.

Senator Sullivan praised the smooth progress of military and security cooperation between South Korea and the United States. Sullivan emphasized the need for increased energy cooperation from an economic security perspective and the commitment of South Korea to cooperate with the Alaska LNG project.

He expressed his expectations for progress in shipbuilding, a key area of the tariff agreement.

Minister Cho's visit to the United States, following his meeting with the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee, followed by meetings and phone calls with key Republican senators, demonstrates the high level of interest shown by the US Congress and other stakeholders in the new administration.

This interaction is believed to have enhanced understanding of the new administration's foreign policy direction and commitment to advancing the ROK-US alliance.

The government plans to further expand bipartisan support within the US Congress to further strengthen the robust ROK-US alliance through parliamentary diplomacy.