READOUT
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun met yesterday with Republic of Korea First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jung-kun in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary Biegun congratulated First Vice Foreign Minister Choi on his recent appointment and pledged to continue close cooperation with the Republic of Korea on a broad range of shared interests, including coordination on COVID-19 response and recovery, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, a free and open Indo-Pacific, and cooperation with Japan to promote regional security. The Deputy Secretary and Vice Minister discussed the Special Measures Agreement, reaffirmed the enduring strength of the U.S.–ROK alliance, and discussed ways to enhance the Alliance to ensure it remains a force for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific for the decades ahead.