1. Foreign Minister Park Jin held a video call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Friday, May 13. The two exchanged views on the upcoming Korea-U.S. Summit, strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, cooperation on economic security, as well as regional and global issues.

2. Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Park on his appointment, and the two ministers agreed to work and communicate closely with each other to further strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance. Foreign Minister Park expressed his appreciation to Secretary Blinken, and looked forward to deepening cooperation with Secretary Blinken across the many issues of shared interest.

3. Foreign Minister Park welcomed the upcoming visit of U.S. President Biden to Korea, which takes place just 10 days into the inauguration of the new administration. Foreign Minister Park also expressed his will to make the upcoming summit a success that elevates the ROK-U.S. comprehensive strategic alliance to the next level.

° Secretary Blinken underscored that President Biden's visit to Korea, the earliest-ever to take place following a new Korean administration, is a clear reflection of the importance the U.S. places on Korea and the Indo-Pacific region, adding that the two countries shall build a foundation on which the two countries will strengthen cooperation on various issues.

4. Foreign Minister Park reminded that President Yoon emphasized ‘freedom’ as a guiding principle of the new administration in his inauguration remarks, and that President Yoon stated that he would expand Korea’s role in the global community, adding that Korea, as a ‘global pivotal state,’ will expand its role not only in the Indo-pacific region, but also in tackling global issues.

° Secretary Blinken welcomed Korea playing a larger role as a ‘global pivotal state.’ Secretary Blinken also expressed his appreciation for Korea making active contributions to international efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

° Moreover, Foreign Minister Park and Secretary Blinken agreed that cooperation in the field of economic security, such as supply chain resilience, is becoming increasingly important, and that the strategic communication between Korea and the U.S. should be strengthened.

5. The two sides strongly condemned the DPRK’s recent series of provocations, including the launch of ballistic missiles on May 12. They agreed to further strengthen Korea-U.S. coordination to firmly respond to the threats posed by the DPRK, while maintaining rock-solid combined defense posture.

° The two sides emphasized their openness to dialogue with the DPRK and agreed to continue making efforts to revive principled and consistent denuclearization talks with the DPRK.

° They also expressed concern over the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the DPRK, and agreed that the two countries should continue to discuss the provision of humanitarian assistance to the DPRK with the international community.

6. Secretary Blinken invited Foreign Minister Park to visit the United States at the earliest convenience, so they could have an in-depth discussion on issues of shared interest. Foreign Minister Park thanked Secretary Blinken for the invitation, and they agreed to continue coordinating the visit.