Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a phone call on the night of the 16th with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. side’s request, exchanging opinions on the recent Middle East situation and South Korea-U.S. relations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Secretary Rubio explained the current status and future outlook of the recent Middle East situation, requesting South Korea’s attention and support for restoring peace and stability in the region, the ministry added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not directly mention U.S. President Donald Trump’s request on the 14th (local time) for the dispatch of warships to the Strait of Hormuz by South Korea, Japan, the U.K., France, and others in its press release that day.
However, Secretary Rubio emphasized that “cooperation among various countries is more important than ever to ensure long-term safety in the Strait of Hormuz and stabilize the global economy and international oil prices,” and proposed, “Let us maintain close communication for this purpose,” according to the ministry.
The interpretation emerges that Secretary Rubio’s proactive call to stress “cooperation for ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz” reflects the U.S. government’s intention to formalize President Trump’s request for warship dispatch.
In response, Minister Cho stated, “Peace in the Middle East and safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz are critically important to the security and economies of South Korea and other nations,” and agreed to continue close consultations.
The two ministers also agreed to meet soon for in-depth discussions on global cooperation and pending issues in South Korea-U.S. relations, the ministry said.
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