S. Korea and U.S. to Hold Strategic ‘2+2’ Talks Amid North Korea’s Deployment to Russia

SEOUL: South Korea and the United States are set to conduct "two plus two" discussions involving their leading foreign and defense officials this week, as confirmed by Seoul's foreign ministry on Monday. This meeting arises amid increasing tensions following North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia. According to Yonhap News Agency, the talks are scheduled for Thursday in Washington and will feature South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The discussions aim to address issues related to the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance, and broader regional and global matters. The meeting is particularly significant given the recent confirmation by both South Korea and the United States of North Korea's dispatch of thousands of soldiers to eastern Russia, potentially for involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As part of the agenda, the two nations will issue a joint statement re flecting the outcomes of their dialogue, as stated by the ministry. Additionally, the U.S. State Department has issued a statement noting that the talks are expected to focus on "strengthening our cooperation on the full range of global and regional issues, and deepening the U.S.-ROK alliance," referring to South Korea by its formal designation, the Republic of Korea. During his time in Washington, Minister Cho is slated to engage in one-on-one discussions with Secretary Blinken, covering topics such as the alliance, trilateral cooperation with Japan, and coordinated responses to threats from North Korea. Cho is also scheduled to meet with U.S. government officials and academic experts to garner continued support and collaboration for advancing the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Following the Washington meetings, Cho and Minister Kim will travel to Canada for the inaugural foreign and defense ministers meeting with their Canadian counterparts. This marks Canada as South Korea's third partner, after the U.S. an d Australia, to participate in such a "two plus two" format meeting. The initial session in Ottawa is anticipated to cover a variety of shared interests, including defense and security cooperation, as well as issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. A joint statement is also expected to be released post-discussions. During the Canadian visit, Cho will hold bilateral meetings with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly to discuss bilateral cooperation and North Korean matters, as reported by Cho's office.