Outgoing foreign minister Chung Eui-yong spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken by telephone on Monday and assessed the cooperation between their two countries.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the phone talks held at Blinken’s request, Chung positively assessed their close cooperation which is based on personal trust and bond over the 15 months he was in office.
The two said the allies worked together not only for progress on the Korean peninsula peace process but also on various regional and global issues, including those on Ukraine, Afghanistan and Myanmar, COVID-19 and global warming.
They reaffirmed the two countries’ shared perception that it is important to continue close coordination based on a solid joint defense posture to discourage North Korea from tension-escalating acts and return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Chung, who is expected to step down on Monday in line with Moon's term, stressed the importance of the continuous expansion of the Seoul-Washington alliance following the launch of the new incoming South Korean government. He requested continuous support from Blinken.