Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Philippines (Sept. 25), Singapore (Sept. 26), and Malaysia (Sept. 27) on the occasion of the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. These were his first bilateral meetings with the three foreign ministers since taking office.

On the afternoon of September 25 (Thu), Minister Cho met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro of the Philippines. The two sides discussed ways to deepen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries across a wide range of areas, including high-level exchanges, development cooperation, the defense industry, and infrastructure investment.

Both ministers recognized that the first telephone conversation between the two Heads of State in August reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral relations in a friendly atmosphere. Secretary Lazaro highlighted the commitment to further build on the momentum of mutually beneficial cooperation on the occasion of President Marcos’s participation in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the end of October.

Secretary Lazaro also stated that the Philippines, as the incoming ASEAN Chair in 2026, would play an active role in enhancing ASEAN–ROK relations. The two ministers exchanged views on ways to advance substantive progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peacebuilding.

On the afternoon of September 26 (Fri), Minister Cho met with Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore to exchange views on bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues, including those concerning the Korean Peninsula.

Minister Cho congratulated Minister Balakrishnan on his reappointment as Foreign Minister following Singapore’s general election in May. The two ministers agreed to work closely together to further elevate bilateral relations as they mark  the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

In particular, they expressed their expectation that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s first visit to the Republic of Korea on the occasion of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the end of October would serve as an important milestone in advancing bilateral relations. They agreed to maintain close communication to ensure a successful visit.

The two ministers also held in-depth discussions on major international issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Balakrishnan commended the Korean government’s efforts to bring about substantive progress toward denuclearization and peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Cho requested Singapore’s continued cooperation and support in these endeavors to ensure that the Korean government’s efforts contribute to peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and to peace and stability in the region with the broad support of the international community.

On the morning of September 27 (Sat), Minister Cho met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan of Malaysia. The two ministers noted the contributions of both countries—as this year’s ASEAN Chair and APEC Chair, respectively—to strengthening international cooperation for inclusive and sustainable growth.

They agreed to continue close cooperation to further deepen and expand the ROK–Malaysia relationship in diverse fields such as trade and investment, green transition, the defense industry, and maritime affairs through active high-level exchanges, including the first telephone conversation between the two leaders in June and their reciprocal visits on the occasion of the ASEAN-related Summits (Oct. 26–28) and the subsequent APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (Oct. 31–Nov. 1).

Minister Cho requested the interest and support of Malaysia, this year’s ASEAN Chair, for the Korean government’s efforts toward denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Mohamad noted the Korean government’s efforts and reaffirmed that Malaysia would work closely with Korea to promote stability and peace in the region.