FM Cho meets U.S. lawmakers to discuss alliance, regional security
SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met with U.S. lawmakers in Washington and discussed bilateral relations and issues related to the Korean Peninsula and global security, the foreign ministry said Friday.
Cho, who is in Washington for a three-day trip from Thursday, met separately with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on Thursday, according to the ministry.
Cho told the lawmakers that the importance of close cooperation between Seoul and Washington has grown amid rapidly changing international circumstances, calling for active support from the U.S. Congress to ensure the swift implementation of the Joint Fact Sheet (JFS).
The JFS, released in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, outlines a range of commitments by both sides, including Seoul's pledge to invest US$350 billion in the United States in exchange for a reduced U.S. tariff rate, as well as cooperation in the nuclear sector and other security-related issues.
Hagerty praised Seoul's efforts to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo and pledged continued support for the alliance, including Korean companies operating in Tennessee.
Jordan stressed the need to manage bilateral issues based on mutual trust and continue efforts to strengthen the alliance.
Meeks called for closer Seoul-Washington coordination on peace and security issues and said the U.S. Congress would continue to support bilateral cooperation based on bipartisan backing for the alliance, according to the ministry.
Cho said Seoul would continue to strengthen the alliance through active communication with both the U.S. administration and Congress. He also called on lawmakers to maintain their support for the alliance following the November midterm elections, the ministry said.
Cho is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday before holding a series of meetings with think tank experts and other officials through Saturday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (L) shakes hands with U.S. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, during their meeting in Washington on Sept. 17, 2026, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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