Paris:Seoul Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in France on Tuesday to discuss matters concerning North Korea and bilateral relations, as reported by Seoul's foreign ministry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho and Rubio held a pull-aside meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting. They exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, high-level exchanges, and issues related to North Korea. The ministry did not provide further details about their discussions.
This meeting was the first in-person encounter between the two foreign ministers since the U.S. midterm election results were announced on November 4. It coincided with the South Korean Cabinet's approval of a bill seeking parliamentary consent to expand the operational scope of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit from waters off the Somali coast to areas near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged South Korea and other nations to assist in securing the vital waterway, which is effectively blocked amid ongoing tensions in the U.S.-Iran war.