Vice foreign ministers of South Korea, US hold talks on North Korea, other regional issues
Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong holds a phone conversation with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, May 19. Yonhap
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held a phone conversation with her new South Korean counterpart Wednesday, reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the State Department.
"The deputy secretary congratulated Vice Foreign Minister Cho on his appointment as first vice foreign minister and stressed her desire to work closely to address the most pressing 21st century challenges, including the climate crisis, COVID-19 pandemic response, supply chain resilience, and economic security," department spokesperson Ned Price said of the call in a press release.
Cho was appointed first vice foreign minister after President Yoon Suk-yeol took office last Tuesday.
"The deputy secretary thanked Vice Foreign Minister Cho for their shared commitment to pursuing the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and affirmed the importance of unified action to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine," Price said.
Sherman also emphasized U.S. commitment to trilateral cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, according to the department spokesperson.
The call came as U.S. President Joe Biden is getting ready for his first Asian trip this week since taking office early last year.
The U.S. president will be on a three-day visit to Seoul from Friday (KST), followed by a three-day trip to Tokyo. (Yonhap)