South Korea and US Strengthen Alliance Amid Global Challenges

South Korean Ambassador to the US Cho Hyun-dong met with new Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the State Department to discuss the bilateral alliance and regional and global issues. The two sides agreed to work together to strengthen their countries' alliance and trilateral cooperation with Japan. They shared the understanding on the importance of close cooperation between South Korea and the US over North Korean issues and agreed to continue efforts to strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance and enhance trilateral cooperation with Japan.

Key Takeaways:

• South Korea and the US agreed to work together to strengthen their countries' alliance and trilateral cooperation with Japan during talks in Washington.
• The two sides shared the understanding on the importance of close cooperation between South Korea and the US over North Korean issues.
• Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong described Under Secretary Hooker as a longtime expert on issues related to the Korean Peninsula and the alliance.
• The two sides agreed to closely cooperate to respond effectively to an array of global challenges, including the Israel-Iran conflict and Ukrainian issues, as well as challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
• Under Secretary Hooker has experience in diplomacy with North Korea, including preparations for US President Donald Trump's summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
• Hooker served as senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council and was deeply involved in preparations for Trump's summits with Kim in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019, and the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
• Ambassador Cho asked Hooker to continue to support efforts for the development of bilateral relations.

Statistics:

• 2001-2014: Hooker served as a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
• 2013-2014: Hooker was selected as the council on Foreign Relations International Affairs fellow in South Korea.

Sources:

• South Korean Embassy in the U.S. capital (Facebook)
• US Department of State
• Council on Foreign Relations