Brainerd meets with NEC Chairman at White House, confirms willingness to cooperate on economic security
Meeting with experts from U.S. think tanks such as KEI, “Strengthen G7 solidarity, ask for constructive suggestions”
On the 27th (local time), Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol sought cooperation from the U.S. administration to ensure that Korean companies receive treatment and incentives commensurate with their investment scale and contribution level in the United States.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 28th, Minister Cho met with National Economic Council (NEC) Chairman Layer Brainerd at the White House in Washington, U.S., and said, “Cooperation between Korea and the United States to jointly respond to global complex crises and strengthen economic security is more important than ever.” “He said this.
Minister Cho’s meeting with the chairman of the NEC, the economic command center of the U.S. administration, is part of the economic and security convergence diplomacy that Minister Cho has been emphasizing.
He evaluated, “Economic cooperation between the two countries is being greatly expanded and strengthened based on the Korea-US alliance and the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).”
He also mentioned, “Thanks to the U.S. government’s close consultation with the Korean government in the process of implementing economic policies such as the Semiconductor Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we are obtaining results that are beneficial to both countries.”
Chairman Brainerd also evaluated, “As the ROK-US alliance expands beyond military security to economic security and cutting-edge technology, the two countries are responding together to the political and economic uncertainty that has recently deepened across the globe.”
He continued, “Korean companies operating in the United States and American companies operating in Korea are contributing greatly to creating a stronger supply chain ecosystem between the two countries and creating quality jobs in the United States,” adding, “Let the two countries continue to cooperate closely.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that he said.
Meanwhile, following the Korea Society Chairman Thomas Byrne on the 24th, Minister Cho had breakfast with the Korea Economic Institute (KEI)’s incoming director Scott Snyder and former director Kathleen Stevens and exchanged opinions on the ROK-US alliance and regional and global situations.
In particular, a plaque of appreciation in the name of the Minister was awarded to former Major General Stevens, who has worked hard to improve understanding of Korea in the United States and expand the base of support for the ROK-U.S. alliance over the past five years since 2018.
Minister Cho said, “This year, we will further strengthen the ROK-U.S. global comprehensive strategic alliance and deepen cooperation between the two countries in all fields, including security, economy, and technology.” He added, “Not only will we strengthen close cooperation between Korea, the U.S., and Japan, but we will also strengthen solidarity with the G7.” “We will do it,” he said.
He continued, “The policy community in the U.S. has contributed to raising awareness and spreading discourse in the U.S. about the importance of the ROK-U.S. relationship,” and added, “We look forward to continued interest and constructive suggestions in the future.”
Chairman Byrne responded, “The ROK-US relationship is developing in many areas beyond security, including culture and people-to-people exchanges,” and added, “We will make efforts to ensure that Korea’s contribution to the international community, including G7 cooperation, is actively evaluated.”
Former Director Stevens said, “It is a special feeling to witness the Korea-US relationship being more active and stronger than ever before,” and added, “We will continue to provide support to strengthen the Korea-US relationship in the future.” Director Snyder stated, “KEI will actively contribute to spreading friendly awareness of the ROK-US alliance.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.