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FM Cho says US troops in S. Korea to remain as is amid drawdown reports
South Korea's top diplomat has said the US forces stationed in the country and their role will remain unchanged amid ongoing speculation that President Donald Trump's administration may reduce troop levels as part of a military posture adjustment. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun made the remarks in an interview with The Washington Post, as speculation persists over the possibility of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea being reduced for use in operations outside the Korean Peninsula as the Trump adminis
Aug. 4, 2025 -
FM holds 1st phone talks with Australian counterpart
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held telephone talks with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, on Monday to discuss bilateral relations, the foreign ministry said, marking their first phone conversation since Cho took office. During the call, Cho stressed that the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in June has helped further deepen the two countries' ties, according to the ministry. Cho also expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality extended
Aug. 4, 2025 -
S. Korea to host APEC ministerial meeting on food security
South Korea will host a meeting of agriculture ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies this weekend to discuss measures to bolster food security in the region, officials said Monday. The meeting will take place in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sunday under the theme "Driving Innovation in Agri-food Systems for Shared Prosperity," according to officials from Seoul's agriculture ministry. Ministers from the 21 APEC member economies, including the United States, China, Ja
Aug. 4, 2025 -
About 64% of S. Koreans give positive assessment of trade deal with US: poll
More than 6 in 10 South Koreans gave a positive assessment of the trade deal reached last week between Seoul and Washington, a poll showed Monday. According to the survey conducted by Realmeter on 1,016 adults aged over 18 on Friday, 63.9 percent said they viewed the deal positively, while 32.3 percent had a negative view. When asked about the most significant outcome of the negotiations, 23.8 percent cited the reduction of "reciprocal" tariffs to 15 percent and securing the same conditions that
Aug. 4, 2025 -
FM Cho says Lee-Trump summit unlikely to be delayed to next month
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Sunday last-minute coordination to set a date for a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump is under way, noting the envisioned meeting will not be delayed to next month. Last week, Trump announced that Lee will visit the White House in two weeks, as he announced Washington has agreed to lower "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea to 15 percent from the proposed 25 percent in return for massive investments and market opening. Cho made the
Aug. 3, 2025 -
FM Cho meets US senators, White House officials after tariff deal
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met US senators and White House officials to discuss alliance and security issues, including North Korea's nuclear program, his ministry said Saturday, after the two countries reached a tariff deal this week. Cho met Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and spoke with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) by phone Friday during his visit to Washington for talks with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, earlier in the week, according to the ministry. Cho noted that the
Aug. 2, 2025 -
Talks launched to set date for 1st Lee-Trump summit
Seoul and Washington have launched discussions to set a date for a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, South Korea’s Foreign Minister said Friday. The latest talks follow US President Donald Trump’s remark that his first summit with Lee would take place in the White House “within two weeks,” shared the previous day via Truth Social. "(The two sides) are coordinating to set a date (for the summit)," Cho said during a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Wa
Aug. 1, 2025 -
Top S. Korean, US diplomats reiterate 'resolute' commitment to NK denuclearization
The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the allies' "resolute" commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea and the "full" enforcement of sanctions against it during their talks in Washington on Thursday, a State Department spokesperson said. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first talks since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration last month, as Seoul and Washington face a series of cooperation issues, in
Aug. 1, 2025 -
What will be discussed in the first Lee-Trump summit?
US President Donald Trump on Thursday mentioned that his first summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung would take place “within the next two weeks” in Washington. The remark, via Truth Social, was included in Trump's announcement that Washington and Seoul reached a trade deal in which the US will impose 15 percent tariffs on South Korea. If the summit between Trump and Lee takes place in the timeframe the US president mentioned, the two leaders would likely discuss the follow-up of the
July 31, 2025 -
Inside the frantic final hours of South Korea-US tariff talks
While South Korea and the US were able to reach a trade deal Thursday that set tariffs on exports to the US at 15 percent, the hours leading up to the announcement of the agreement were a whirlwind of uncertainty and frantic activity. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his aides remained on high alert throughout the night, continuing to receive reports from Seoul’s trade delegation led by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol in Washington. The delegation made last-minute efforts to reach a deal
July 31, 2025 -
S. Korea, US defense chiefs vow deeper shipbuilding ties
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held his first phone call with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday, during which the two agreed to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korean threats and enhance cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, according to Seoul’s Defense Ministry. Ahn, who took office on July 25, said he feels a strong sense of responsibility as the first defense minister under the new administration. He emphasized the importance of advancing the achiev
July 31, 2025 -
Hegseth voices desire to ensure 'strategically sustainable' S. Korea-US alliance: Pentagon
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his desire to ensure that the South Korea-US alliance is "strategically sustainable" and the allies' defense posture contributes to deterrence against "shared threats" as he spoke by phone with his South Korean counterpart on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. Hegseth had the first phone talks with Seoul's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back since Ahn's inauguration last week, amid expectations that the Trump administration will request Asian allies to raise thei
July 31, 2025 -
Korea, Japan agree on reviving leader-level ‘shuttle diplomacy’
South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their intent to restart shuttle diplomacy, referring to reciprocal visits by their leaders, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday following his visit to Tokyo. Cho made a two-day trip to Tokyo — his first overseas visit since taking office -- before departing for Washington on Wednesday afternoon to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his stay, Cho also paid a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a day after holding
July 30, 2025 -
Seoul welcomes ceasefire between Thailand, Cambodia
South Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expecting the border conflict to be peacefully resolved. Since lasy Thursday, the deadly border clashes between the two countries had killed at least 35 soldiers, injured over 140 people and displaced some 260,000. Supported by Malaysia and the United States, the two reached a truce agreement earlier in the day. "The South Korean government highly evaluates diplomatic efforts by related countries, such
July 29, 2025 -
Lee sends letter to Japanese PM to thank for participation in diplomatic event
President Lee Jae Myung has sent a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to express his gratitude for his participation in an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties, a presidential official said Tuesday. Ishiba attended the ceremony hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo on June 19, where he underscored the need to maintain close communication to advance the bilateral ties and address shared challenges. A few days later, Lee con
July 29, 2025