At the request of U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoonjoo held a telephone conversation with her on the night of September 6 (Sat.). The two sides discussed follow-up measures to the ROK-U.S. summit held on Aug. 25, ROK-U.S. high-level diplomatic engagements, and major international issues. Vice Minister Park took the opportunity to provide her with a detailed explanation of the situation concerning approximately 300 Korean nationals detained by U.S. authorities and requested the State Department’s utmost cooperation.

Vice Minister Park expressed regret that this incident occurred at a critical time when both countries need to maintain the momentum of trust and cooperation established between the leaders of the two countries during their first summit since the inauguration of their new administrations, and particularly that a video footage showing the arrest of Korean nationals was disclosed to the public. On that note, he emphasized that the economic activities of Korean companies investing in the United States and the rights and interests of Korean nationals must not be unjustly infringed upon in the course of U.S. law enforcement procedures. He went on to reiterate his strong request for the State Department’s active engagement to ensure a fair and swift resolution of the matter.

Under Secretary Hooker stated that the State Department, on its part, is closely monitoring the situation and is communicating closely with relevant agencies. She noted that the incident is drawing special attention of the Department of State as it is closely related to Korean investment activities in the U.S. She committed to maintaining close consultations with the ROK side as needed going forward.