U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul have agreed to hold an in-person meeting "at an early date," Seoul said Saturday, after the two used a phone call to emphasize the need for stability amid political turmoil in South Korea.
The two reached a deal to coordinate their schedules for the meeting as concerns about the bilateral alliance linger in the wake of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration and his subsequent impeachment, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Cho said that efforts should be made to continue to maintain and develop the alliance under South Korea's acting president, Han Duck-soo, citing phone talks between Han and U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this week.
The top South Korean diplomat also underscored the need for ensuring that trilateral progress with Japan and the U.S. continues under the incoming U.S. administration, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Jan. 20.
In a separate statement, the State Department said Blinken had “conveyed the United States’ unwavering support for the people” of South Korea, “emphasizing the importance both nations place on democratic institutions and the rule of law.”
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