1. On June 13, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Kim Hee-sang met with Mr. Sean O’Neill, Senior Bureau Official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The two sides discussed ways to further strengthen Korea-U.S. cooperation across a wide range of economic areas, including trade, investment, and supply chain resilience.

2. Deputy Minister Kim welcomed Mr. O’Neill’s visit, noting that he is the first senior U.S. diplomatic official to visit Korea since the launch of the new Korean government. He expressed his pleasure that high-level exchanges between the two countries are entering a more active phase, following the phone call between the two leaders on June 6.

3. Deputy Minister Kim emphasized that economic cooperation has become a central pillar of the Korea-U.S. alliance. He stated that the new Korean government is committed to further expanding and deepening bilateral economic ties to advance the overall relationship. In particular, he highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation in the areas of economic security, shipbuilding, and advanced technologies.

4. Mr. O’Neill stated that the Trump administration places great importance on the Korea-U.S. alliance and the Indo-Pacific region. He extended his sincere congratulations on President Lee’s election and the launch of the new government. He noted that the Korea-U.S. alliance is based on shared democratic values, strong economic and social ties, and a deep security partnership. He looked forward to finding ways to strengthen cooperation across a broad spectrum of issues, including shipbuilding, economic security, and growing investment in both of our economies.

5. Deputy Minister Kim and Mr. O'Neill also exchanged views on the ongoing bilateral consultations on tariffs, and discussed the importance of continuing to actively engage in robust negotiations to strengthen the economic partnership between the two countries.