FM Cho discusses Strait of Hormuz, implementing summit agreements with Trump official

▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (R) poses with Allison Hooker, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, during their meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, France, on March 26, 2026, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

FM-G7 meetings

FM Cho discusses Strait of Hormuz, implementing summit agreements with Trump official

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met with a senior U.S. official and discussed the developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz amid the Middle East conflict and implementing the allies' summit agreements, the foreign ministry said Friday.

The talks with Allison Hooker, U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs, took place on the margins of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting in Paris on Thursday (local time), the ministry said in a release.

South Korea has been invited as a guest country to the forum of advanced nations that include Britain, Canada, the United States, France, Italy and Germany.

Cho expressed concern over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy supplies, and stressed that efforts to deescalate the conflict are crucial to ensure the safety of navigation for all vessels, including Korean ships, so as to stabilize the energy supply chains.

Hooker took note of South Korea's contribution to international efforts toward securing the region's safe passage, including Seoul's decision to join the multination statement denouncing Iran's effective blockade of the shipping lane, the ministry said.

The two sides also discussed the progress in implementing the summit agreements on trade and security under their joint fact sheet. They agreed to start follow-up working-level dialogue for the security part at the earliest possible date.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula, they agreed to continue working closely together on the issue, especially ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to China in May.

On the sidelines of the G7 sessions, Cho held a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts of G7 member states and other participating countries, including Canada, India, France, the European Union and Germany.

The ongoing Middle East conflict, Russia's war against Ukraine and issues related to North Korea were high on the agenda, along with bilateral relations in security, the economy and other areas, the ministry said.

In talks with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, Cho expressed hope that the participation of the ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho naval submarine in joint drills with Canada would demonstrate the strength of South Korea's submarine capabilities, reaffirming Seoul's great interest in and commitment to its bid for a Canadian submarine project.

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