S. Korean, US FMs discuss N. Korea, bilateral issues in Paris

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in France on Tuesday to discuss North Korea and bilateral issues, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

Cho held a pull-aside meeting with Rubio on the sidelines of a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting and "exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, high-level exchanges and North Korea-related issues," the ministry said, without disclosing other details.

The meeting came as Seoul seeks to maintain momentum on key bilateral and regional issues following the US midterm elections on Nov. 3, in which the Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, dealing a significant blow to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Rubio also confirmed his meeting with Cho in Paris.

"Great meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on the sidelines of the G7 in Paris, where we had a productive conversation on the importance of the bilateral relationship between South Korea and the United States," Rubio wrote on X.

Seoul and Washington have yet to make substantial progress in follow-up consultations on key security commitments outlined in a joint fact sheet released after the October 2025 summit between President Lee Jae Myung and President Trump.

The commitments include cooperation on South Korea's push to build nuclear-powered attack submarines and expand its rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes.

During a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Lee called for close cooperation with the US government for the implementation of bilateral diplomatic and security agreements. He also stressed efforts to build bipartisan support in Congress for issues concerning South Korea and the alliance.

The Cabinet, meanwhile, approved a bill seeking parliamentary consent for the government's plan to expand the operational scope of its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit from waters off the Somali coast to areas closer to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has called on South Korea and other countries to help secure the vital waterway, which remains effectively blocked amid the US-Iran war. (Yonhap)