Cho Hyun: S. Korea, US to hold foreign ministers' meeting this month, 'alliance concerns' baseless

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Thursday that South Korea will hold a foreign ministers' meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the end of this month.

Cho made the remark during an interpellation session on diplomacy, unification and security at the National Assembly that day. He was responding to a question from Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the Democratic Party of Korea, who leads the ruling party's side on the National Defense Committee, about the state of the South Korea-US alliance. "The South Korea-US alliance remains fundamentally solid," Cho said.

"Even in a solid alliance, there can be various differences of opinion," he said. "Our government has worked closely with the United States in that spirit, consulting on and resolving issues as they arise."

"There have been ongoing foreign ministers' meetings between South Korea and the United States, and we plan to hold one within this month as well," he added. "The concerns about the alliance that have been circulating are baseless, and even if such views exist, they can be sufficiently resolved through consultation."