Hyeong-il Lee-Besant video interview… “Reaffirming the importance of Korea-US economic and financial cooperation”

(Sejong = Yonhap News) Reporter Se-won Lee = Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hyung-il met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant using a video conference system at the Seoul Government Complex on the afternoon of the 13th.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy reported that in this meeting, which was the first since Prime Minister Lee took office, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of economic and financial cooperation between Korea and the United States.

Minister Bessant congratulated Deputy Prime Minister Lee on his inauguration and emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the economy and finance.

Deputy Prime Minister Lee expressed his gratitude for Minister Bessant's congratulations and expressed his expectation to communicate and cooperate closely with him.

The two reportedly also discussed common priorities and ways to strengthen cooperation between Korea and the United States in economic policy.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy plans to continuously communicate with the finance departments of major countries other than the United States to strengthen economic and financial cooperation with the international community.

Deputy Prime Minister Lee is scheduled to go to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on the 14th to attend the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) Annual General Meetings, which opened on the 12th (local time), and the Finance Ministers' Meeting of the G20 and G7 held in conjunction with them.

Usually, bilateral meetings between Korea and the United States are held on the occasion of these annual general meetings and finance ministers' meetings, but according to foreign media reports and sources, the meeting was held via video amidst the possibility that Minister Bessant would not visit Bangkok this time.