S.Korea, US hold vice foreign ministerial meeting in Seoul

Seoul, July 23 (IANS) South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday held the ninth round of the South Korea-US vice foreign ministerial strategic dialogue in Seoul.

During the dialogue, Choi and Sherman broadly exchanged opinions about bilateral, regional and global issues as well as issues on the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

The two diplomats reaffirmed the significance of dialogue and engagement with North Korea for a substantive progress in the complete denuclearization of and the permanent peace settlement in the Peninsula, reports Xinhua news agency citing the Ministry as further saying.

Following the "terrific strategic dialogue" with Choi, Sherman said in a series of tweets: "We spoke about US-South Korea relations, our cooperation on multilateral issues like ending the Covid-19 pandemic and addressing climate change, and Indo-Pacific security and prosperity.

"As a friend and ally, a fellow democracy, and an economic powerhouse, South Korea is a critical partner to the US. There's nothing that our two countries cannot accomplish when we work together."

Sherman arrived here on Wednesday for a three-day trip, following a trilateral meeting in Tokyo with Choi and her Japanese counterpart Takeo Mori.