1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kim Gunn had a video conference with United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell on the morning of August 12, and discussed issues of mutual interest, including the Republic of Korea-U.S. relations as well as regional and global situations.

2. The two sides noted with appreciation that even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ROK and the U.S. have been closely communicating at various levels to step up cooperation in a range of areas, including COVID-19 response.

o To prepare for the possible increase in bilateral travel following the overseas U.S. Embassies’ resumption of student visa service and lifting of its Global Level 4 Health Advisory, the two sides agreed to work together for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries to continue in a safe way.

o The U.S. side assessed that the ROK has set an example for COVID-19 response, and hoped to continue cooperation in responding to the pandemic, including through the multilateral teleconference on COVID-19 response among the vice foreign ministers of seven countries in the region.

o In addition, the two sides took note that based on continuous coordination with the U.S., the ROK has adopted the “Revised Missile Guidelines 2020” that completely remove the restrictions on the use of solid fuels for space launch vehicles, and agreed to continue expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation in the new area of space.

3. The U.S. side said that it will continue close communication with the ROK on the G7 summit. The ROK reaffirmed its commitment to its roles and contributions that are expected by the international community.

4. Furthermore, the two sides exchanged views on regional and global situations, and agreed to continue to discuss ways to increase their cooperation in the region, including cooperation between the ROK’s New Southern Policy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy.

o Regarding cooperation on the global stage, the ROK side asked for the U.S.’ support for Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, a candidate for Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

5. The two sides noted that both the ROK Deputy Minister and the U.S. Assistant Secretary participated in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials’ Meetings in July and were able to exchange constructive views on various issues. They agreed to continue cooperation to make progress in strengthening regional cooperation at future EAS and ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.