South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun Meets U.S. Senators in New York to Discuss Alliance and Strategic Cooperation

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met with U.S. senators in New York and discussed the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Korean Peninsula issues and regional affairs, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Cho, who is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly's high-level week, held a meeting with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Chris Coons (D-DE) together on Monday (local time), according to the ministry.

Cho highlighted that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed during last week's bilateral talks in Washington to maintain close communication to ensure the faithful implementation of key summit agreements reached by their leaders and outlined in the joint fact sheet.

He called for active support from U.S. Congress to ensure the swift advancement of strategic cooperation in key areas, including shipbuilding and nuclear energy.

The joint fact sheet, issued in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump the previous month, calls for Seoul to invest US$350 billion in the United States, including $150 billion for shipbuilding cooperation, in exchange for lower U.S. tariff rates.

It also includes other security-related arrangements, such as Seoul's push to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel.

Cho also shared his assessment of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and explained Seoul's efforts to achieve denuclearization and maintain peace on the peninsula.

Shaheen and Coons reaffirmed strong bipartisan support in Congress for the alliance between the two nations and welcomed Seoul's investments in the U.S., noting that they have contributed to job creation and the rebuilding of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

The senators also pledged continued congressional attention and support for the smooth implementation of key summit agreements, while vowing to actively cooperate to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.