1. On the morning of December 9, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun had a meeting with Deputy Secretary of State of the United States Stephen Biegun, who was on a visit to Korea, and exchanged in-depth views on matters of mutual interest, including the overall Korea-U.S. relations as well as regional and global issues.

2. Vice Minister Choi noted with appreciation that both governments have seen a wide range of achievements over the three and half years since the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in: Among the achievements are close and frequent communication between the Presidents, progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process, deepened cooperation between the New Southern Policy and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, active parliamentary and academic exchanges, the declassification of U.S. government documents related to the May 18th Democratization Movement, progress in the USFK Camp return process, the two consecutive revisions of the Missile Guidelines, and close cooperation on the COVID-19 response.

° Vice Minister Choi asked Deputy Secretary Biegun to play a bridging role so that these achievements could lead to further advances in the Korea-U.S. relations under the next U.S. administration.

3. Deputy Secretary Biegun noted that the achievements made by the governments of the two countries over the past three years are very impressive and that trust and coordination between Korea and the U.S. will hold steadfast, suggesting that the two countries do their best together to manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the alliance issues in a stable manner.

4. Vice Minister Choi and Deputy Secretary Biegun also exchanged views on regional issues and agreed to continue efforts to further consolidate the Korea-U.S. alliance as a linchpin of peace and prosperity in the region.