South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong and a visiting U.S. senator reaffirmed the strength of their countries' alliance Wednesday as President Park Geun-hye is preparing to visit Washington in October.
Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and international cyber-security policy, arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a three-day visit, during which he also plans to pay a courtesy call on Park later Wednesday.
"Korea, of course, is a staunch ally of the United States," Cho said at the start of his meeting with Gardner. "The alliance is evolving into a global partnership, and my government is very happy about the state of affairs between the two countries."
The senator agreed that the alliance is strong, saying he looks forward to an even stronger partnership from an economic and security perspective.
"I'm excited about the opportunities we have for global leadership opportunities together," he said.
Cho noted Park's upcoming visit to Washington in October, saying the two countries are "working together to make the most of this visit."
Gardner recalled that Park's first visit to the U.S. in May 2013 was "very well received" during his term in the House of Representatives.
"Certainly the people of the United States are looking forward to the visit as well," he said.
Aside from alliance issues, the two sides discussed the situation with North Korea, including its nuclear weapons development, officials said.
Cho expressed concern over North Korea's recent landmine explosion inside the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, saying South Korea and the U.S. have maintained a strong joint defense posture against the communist state and remain in close cooperation over the North's nuclear threats, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The Aug. 4 explosion left two South Korean soldiers seriously injured, raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula to a new high.
Cho also noted South Korea's efforts to join the international campaign against human rights violations in the North, saying it plans to actively support the work of a U.N. office that opened in Seoul in June with the aim of monitoring and documenting human rights abuses by Pyongyang.
Gardner agreed on the importance of resolving issues related to North Korea, adding that his subcommittee will continue to take an interest in them.
In May, Gardner introduced a bill calling for redesignating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism and additional sanctions on the communist regime.
The following month, he also initiated a resolution welcoming Park's visit to Washington, which was scheduled for mid-June before being postponed due to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea.
Garner said he plans to reintroduce the resolution ahead of Park's October visit.
On the continued historical and territorial disputes between South Korea and Japan, Cho explained the government's policy of maintaining a principled approach to historical issues while actively pursuing cooperation in other areas.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's statement last week marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II left much to be desired, but South Korea will continue to work to develop future-oriented ties with the neighboring nation, Cho added.
Gardner took note of South Korea's leadership in improving ties with Japan by exercising restraint over the Abe statement, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
