By Diplomacy Journal Lee Gil-ju

First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo, currently visiting the United States, held a with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the US Department of State on December 1 (local time), and exchanged views on follow-up measures to the ROK-US summit.

This Vice-Ministerial Meeting marked the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the two leaders' mutual visits in August and October.

The two Vice Ministers commended the adoption of the Joint Fact Sheet (November 14), which outlines the agreements reached between the two leaders, and agreed to promptly launch working-level consultations for each sector to ensure the swift and faithful implementation of follow-up measures in key areas such as nuclear energy, shipbuilding, and nuclear-powered submarines.

Vice Minister Park specifically requested the prompt initiation of ROK-US consultations on South Korea's civilian uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, and Deputy Secretary Landau expressed his desire for close communication between the two sides on this matter.

The two Vice Ministers also agreed to work together to ensure full-scale consultations between South Korea and the United States on issues such as nuclear-powered submarines and shipbuilding cooperation.

Furthermore, Vice Minister Park explained South Korea's efforts to implement the "Joint Briefing Materials" and requested that the United States promptly take corresponding measures, such as tariff reductions.

Regarding improvements to the US visa system, the two Vice Ministers acknowledged the substantial progress made, including the establishment of a dedicated visa consultation center for South Korean businesses, based on discussions during Secretary Landau's visit to South Korea in September.

Vice Minister Park requested Secretary Landau's continued attention to ensure smooth and stable visits to the US by South Korean businesspeople and technical personnel.

Meanwhile, during his visit to the US, Vice Minister Park plans to hold a separate dinner with officials from the US National Security Council and the State Department's Korean Peninsula Affairs Office to discuss the faithful implementation of the summit follow-up measures and North Korea policy.