[On-Site Video+] Minister Cho Tae-yeol said, "South Korea and the U.S. reaffirm that there is no gap in the alliance."

[Anchor]
The Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting was held in Seoul during the day today.

This is the last foreign ministers' meeting between the U.S. and South Korea held ahead of the end of the Biden administration's term.

It also drew attention to the fact that it was the first ministerial-level face-to-face meeting between South Korea and the U.S. since President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an emergency martial law last month.

After the meeting, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S. held a joint press conference.

Let's go to the scene.

[Hoster]
From now on, we will hold a joint press conference for the foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S. First of all, there will be a statement from each minister. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and Secretary of State Blinken will all speak in order. After all the remarks, we will have a Q&A session. Then Minister Cho Tae-yeol will speak first.

[Cho Tae-yeol / Minister of Foreign Affairs]
How are you? This is Cho Tae-yeol, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to the victims and bereaved families of the disaster in New Orleans, USA. We will always be with the American people. I also express my deepest condolences for the death of former President Carter. As a respected senior politician, Carter, who devoted his entire life to democracy, human rights, and international peace, was a great example to the world. Once again, I welcome Secretary Blinken to Korea. It is the third visit to Korea by Minister Blinken in our government and the 14th contact I have with Minister Blinken, including official meetings and calls. I think there will be more than this if we meet for a while at the opportunity of multilateral diplomacy.

Secretary Blinken's visit to Korea and the Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting are more meaningful than ever. First, complete restoration of trust in the Korea-U.S. alliance and restoration of the value alliance. We reaffirmed today that there is no gap in the Korea-U.S. alliance. I have made it clear that our foreign policy stance will continue to remain unchanged based on stable state administration and a solid Korea-U.S. alliance under the acting President Choi Sang-mok. Along with his strong support for our democracy and the Korea-U.S. alliance, Secretary Blinken expressed confidence in the acting system and reaffirmed his commitment to continue strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance while working closely with our government. Second, we reaffirmed the strategic importance of the U.S. firm defense commitment to Korea and cooperation between Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

Blinken's choice of South Korea and Japan as the first and last countries to visit as Secretary of State shows the U.S. firm commitment to cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Korea and the United States opened a new era of trilateral cooperation with Japan. Secretary Blinken and I looked back on the achievements of the Camp David Summit and regularly held high-level consultations based on the principles of the Camp David Psychiatry and checked the operational status of consultative bodies in areas such as security, economic security, advanced technology and development cooperation. And we decided to further strengthen cooperation among the three countries, centering on the secretariat of Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which was launched at the end of last year.

We agreed that efforts to drive North Korea's denuclearization through the implementation of UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea and the disclosure of North Korea's sanctions evasion activities are more important than ever, and we decided to continue cooperation to this end. In addition, we condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch today and decided to thoroughly prepare and respond firmly to any possible provocations by North Korea through a thorough joint defense posture and enhanced extended deterrence. Third, we reviewed the achievements of Korea-U.S. cooperation and reaffirmed our willingness to implement follow-up measures. South Korea and the U.S. have dramatically strengthened extended deterrence cooperation through the Washington Declaration and the creation of the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group. The Korea-U.S. 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting was held, and the Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty agreed and declared the application of space and cyber.

Through the initiative efforts of South Korea and the United States, the multinational sanctions monitoring team, a recently launched monitoring mechanism for the implementation of new Security Council sanctions against North Korea, is also driving the implementation of international sanctions against North Korea. We examined the creation of next-generation core emerging dialogue technologies, the performance of artificial intelligence and high-tech cooperation, and exchanged views on the implementation of the IRA and semiconductor laws and the creation of an investment environment for Korean companies in the U.S. All of these achievements that South Korea and the U.S. have made together are the core contents of the global comprehensive strategic alliance and are evidence of the Korea-U.S. alliance, which has been upgraded to the highest level ever. We agreed that these achievements should continue to be protected and lead to greater achievements in the future, and we decided to actively cooperate with them. The South Korea-U.S. alliance is stronger when the two countries are together in difficult times like now.

The strong Korea-U.S. alliance will provide more opportunities and prosperity for future generations in both countries and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region. Our companionship will last, as it has been for the past 71 years. Thank you.

[Tony Blinken / Secretary of State]
Thank you. First of all, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol and Acting President Choi Sang-mok welcomed me to Seoul, and I am deeply grateful for the cooperation and leadership shown by Korea in such a difficult time. I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to meet Chairman Woo Won-sik and the Members of Parliament today. I really want to thank you again. We brought our friendship and partnership with our Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol. He has integrity, which is a democratic journey, and he is someone I respect. And I express my deepest condolences on behalf of the American people. My condolences go out to the bereaved families of the victims, the survivors and all those affected by this tragedy in connection with the aircraft accident in Muan last week. I would like to tell you that the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and a team of experts from Boeing are at the site in South Korea to support the investigation and that the United States will do its best to help in any way possible. As you said, it is my fourth visit to Korea as Secretary of State and the 21st in the region of Asia-Pacific. And in many ways, this visit will complete my term as Secretary of State. Four years ago, Secretary of Defense Austin and I visited Seoul and Tokyo on our first overseas trip in the Biden administration. There is a reason why I chose to visit Korea at that time. That's because for 70 years, the alliance has played a role in Northeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and increasingly globally as a key pillar of peace and security prosperity. From day one, President Biden has given me, as Secretary of State, the task of reinvigorating and reimagining alliances and partnerships to respond to the challenges of our times and to perform for our people. And in the last four years, we've done exactly that.

Today's alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is more important than ever in designing our common future, and I believe that our capabilities are stronger than ever. As Minister Cho said now, we have strengthened extended deterrence. This is a commitment by the United States to defend its allies through a full range of conventional and nuclear capabilities. In addition, the Nuclear Consultative Group was created and continued to increase in response to and coordination with North Korea's provocations. Again today, North Korea fired ballistic missiles. It continues to violate UN Security Council resolutions. Nevertheless, we opened a new era of cooperation between Korea and the U.S.

Through this, we realize the common vision of a free, prosperous, safe, resilient and connected Indo-Pacific region. I take great pride in what has been going on since I worked as Deputy Secretary of State during the Obama administration. Now, after the historic summit hosted by President Biden at Camp David, the three countries are implementing more than 30 security, economic, and human exchange initiatives. Let me give you an example. We regularly conduct joint regular drills, share real-time data on North Korea's ballistic missile launches, and enhance interoperability among the three countries' armed forces.

It is also making the economy safer and more resilient by sharing early warning information about supply chain disruptions. Universities in the United States, South Korea, and Japan are also interacting with thousands of students in the field of quantum computing to further strengthen the competitiveness and innovation of future innovation. We have also prepared a program to help the leaders of the three young countries solve common tasks. This expanded trilateral cooperation is creating synergies for good. Furthermore, a more united partnership for peace and stability extends from the Korean Peninsula to the Taiwan Strait, contributing to the closer connection of our people, especially the younger generation, as a driving force for economic and technological progress.

I believe that it is in the strategic interest of the powerhouse to not only maintain this trilateral cooperation but also to further develop it. In particular, the era in which the security of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe is increasingly linked is all the more prominent among these. In late December, more than 1,000 North Koreans were killed or injured in Kursk. This is the result of Russia's attempt to invade Ukraine by force and reshape its territory, and is an example of the growing threat from deepening cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. However, this North Korea-Russia relationship is also a two-way issue. North Korea is already receiving military equipment and training from Russia.

Now there is credible information that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technologies with North Korea. It is also possible that President Putin has gone further and is close to reversing Russia's decades-long policies and trying to tolerate North Korea's nuclear weapons program. However, the Republic of Korea is playing an important role by providing humanitarian aid to support Ukraine against Russian aggression. The United States now expects Korea to continue to expand its cooperation with NATO, along with Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, so that the Atlantic and Pacific countries can defend international norms and principles, and work together to meet them.

This is the key to solving Ukraine's problems. Because it is not only an invasion of the Ukrainian state and its people, but it is also a violation of the principles of the international system. That's why we are maintaining this method to maintain peace and stability and security with countries around the world. It is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter. It is rights and sovereignty that we have to protect and we are united and defending for this principle. We have also promoted the approach of the sharing economy. This means that South Korea will host APEC this year or lead a Korea-wide security partnership and development initiatives in the Mekong region.