South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his US counterpart Marco Rubio agreed during a telephone call to continue close coordination and cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue.
The US State Department issued only a brief statement regarding the phone call, which comes amid tension between the two allied countries, as US President Donald Trump recently announced a reduction in the size of joint military exercises and praised nuclear-armed North Korea, while accusing Seoul of not helping his efforts targeting the Iranian nuclear program.
The U.S. State Department said Rubio and Cho discussed "a range of issues related to the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance."
She added, "The minister noted the need for the two countries to continue close coordination on issues that are an integral part of the alliance."
Yonhap News Agency reported that the South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding their talks, which did not mention whether the two ministers reaffirmed their usual commitment to the denuclearization of Pyongyang, although they emphasized the importance of cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue.
Yonhap quoted the ministry statement as saying, "The two ministers agreed to continue close communication and cooperation between South Korea and the United States for peace on the Korean Peninsula and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, while maintaining a strong joint defense posture."
The agency quoted Cho as saying that Seoul would do its utmost to help ensure that Trump’s recent message to North Korea leads to a resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and the achievement of peace on the peninsula.
Yonhap News Agency quoted a ministry statement saying that Cho affirmed the Seoul government’s commitment to making substantial contributions to help restore freedom of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while also noting the active leadership role played by Trump and the United States in addressing the Middle East issue.
