Choi Hyun, South Korea's Foreign Minister, will visit Washington, D.C., from September 17 to 19. Attention is focused on whether the two foreign ministers will discuss South Korea's 'substantial contributions' in the Hormuz Strait, along with various pressing diplomatic and security issues.
The Foreign Ministry announced on September 16 that Choi will hold a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 18 to broadly discuss U.S.-South Korea relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and regional and global matters.
This will be the first in-person meeting between the two ministers in over seven months, since they last met in Washington on February 3. It will also be Choi's third face-to-face meeting since taking office. The two ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Hormuz Strait during a phone call on August 24, agreeing to meet soon to delve into key issues. During that call, Choi expressed South Korea's commitment to contributing to the restoration of free navigation in the Hormuz Strait and suggested continuing discussions on specific measures.
As a result, there are expectations for a more detailed exchange of views regarding South Korea's level and method of contribution during this meeting. Following the return of a local investigation team sent by the Ministry of National Defense to the United Arab Emirates on September 10, it is anticipated that they will also share assessments of the local situation with the U.S.
Subsequent discussions on security cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea are also expected to be a major agenda item. Topics may include the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, the expansion of uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing rights, and the transfer of wartime operational control. As the implementation of U.S. investment agreements is set to begin, there is interest in whether progress in economic matters will provide momentum for security negotiations.
Regarding the Korean Peninsula issue, discussions are expected to cover North Korea's military activities, the possibility of resuming U.S.-North Korea dialogue, and coordination on North Korea policy. The two ministers had previously agreed during their phone call last month to closely cooperate to ensure that President Trump's messages to North Korea lead to the resumption of dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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