South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized the need to expand the technological alliance between South Korea and the United States in areas such as nuclear energy, shipbuilding, AI, and biotechnology. During a briefing held in Seoul, Minister Cho stated, “Expanding and deepening the South Korea-U.S. alliance to transform it into a future-oriented comprehensive alliance is necessary to effectively utilize our alliance amid challenging and changing international dynamics.”
Minister Cho noted that the upcoming summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump is being prepared with this perspective in mind. He highlighted that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has historically focused on defense and security, and through the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the economy was significantly boosted. Moving forward, with the changing global dynamics and rapid technological advancements, cooperation in technological fields would help navigate these changes.
He specifically identified nuclear energy, shipbuilding, AI, quantum technology, and biotechnology as areas for expanding the alliance’s scope. Regarding security issues to be discussed in the upcoming summit, Minister Cho mentioned that matters like strategic flexibility and alliance modernization are being closely negotiated ahead of the meeting. However, he refrained from disclosing detailed information as discussions are still ongoing.
When asked about behind-the-scenes work for dialogue between North Korea and the United States, Minister Cho indicated that while preparations are being coordinated closely with the U.S., it was difficult to provide specific comments on the current status. In light of North Korea’s refusal to engage in denuclearization talks and calls from within the U.S. for nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea, Minister Cho reiterated South Korea’s stance on denuclearization. He mentioned the complexities and tactical exchanges likely needed between the U.S. and North Korea.
On the potential for a North Korea-U.S. summit around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) occasion, Minister Cho responded that it was hypothetical and couldn’t provide an answer.
Regarding President Lee’s upcoming visits to Japan and the U.S., Minister Cho stated that the South Korea-Japan summit aims to solidify the foundation for future-oriented cooperation and strengthen trilateral collaboration among South Korea, Japan, and the United States. He also said discussions at the first South Korea-U.S. summit will focus on advancing the alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership and enhancing economic security partnerships to respond to the evolving international security and economic landscape.