Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Chung Byung-ha had a meeting with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, April 22, to discuss the situation in the Middle East and pending issues in bilateral relations.

Special Envoy Chung relayed regards from Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun and expressed his hope that Korea-Iran relations will continue to develop stably, citing the recent telephone conversations between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on March 23 and April 9, the 7th and 8th bilateral Director-General-level Policy Consultations held last year, and Korea’s recent provision of humanitarian assistance worth $500,000 for Iran through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Special Envoy Chung requested continued attention from the Iranian side to the safety of around 40 Korean nationals remaining in Iran, as well as 26 Korean vessels and their crews.

In particular, Special Envoy Chung emphasized the necessity of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and requested the Iranian side's utmost cooperation for the safe navigation of all vessels, including those of Korea, at an early date.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Special Envoy Chung expressed his hope that negotiations between the United States and Iran would resume, restoring peace and stability in the region as soon as possible.

Minister Araghchi highly appreciated the Korean Foreign Minister’s decision to dispatch the Special Envoy under difficult circumstances and the Korean Embassy’s uninterrupted fulfillment of its role, expressing his hope for the continued stable development of bilateral relations. He also stated that he would continue to pay close attention to the safety of Korean nationals in Iran.

During his visit to Iran which began on Saturday, April 11, the Special Envoy also met with deputy minister for political affairs, deputy minister for economic diplomacy, and director-general for consular affairs of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During these meetings, the two sides discussed pending issues in bilateral relations as well as the necessity of ensuring the safety of Korean nationals in Iran and that of all vessels and crews in the Strait of Hormuz.