On August 11 (Monday), Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held his first phone call with David Lammy, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. The phone call served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration, during which the Minister and the Secretary exchanged views on ways to further strengthen the Korea-UK Global Strategic Partnership, as well as on regional and global developments.

The Minister and the Secretary noted the active high-level exchanges between Korea and the United Kingdom since the launch of the new Korean administration, including the Korea-UK summit held on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit (June 17) and the dispatch of a special presidential envoy to the UK (July 17-18). Minister Lammy congratulated Minister Cho on his appointment and expressed his hope to maintain close communication to further deepen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as trade, defense, and climate change, based on the Korea-UK Global Strategic Partnership. In response, Minister Cho expressed his expectations for enhanced cooperation especially in the economic sector, including regarding negotiations to improve the Korea-UK FTA, and in science and technology such as AI. He also requested the UK’s active support for the new Korean government’s foreign policy.

The Minister and the Secretary also exchanged views on regional issues, including those concerning the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, and agreed to meet in person in the near future to discuss in greater depth ways to further enhance the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries.