South Korea's foreign minister pick vows to bring peace on Korean Peninsula

ANKARA

South Korea's nominee for the foreign minister on Tuesday vowed to work to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula by facilitating dialogue between North Korea and the US, Yonhap news reported.

Cho Hyun, who was chosen by President Lee Jae Myung as the country's top diplomat on Monday, said establishment of peace on the peninsula will be top foreign policy of Seoul.

"I believe that facilitating dialogue between North Korea and the United States to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula is one of the top priorities of the Lee Jae-myung government's foreign and unification policy," he told reporters.

"We will work closely with other government agencies in line with the president's vision to ensure there are no obstacles in advancing this goal," Cho added.

His remarks echoed Lee's statement earlier this month in which he vowed to "stop the exhausting hostilities" with North Korea and resume inter-Korean dialogue and collaboration.

On US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes and demand for a larger burden-sharing in defense, he called for a "calm and wise" approach in line with Lee's "pragmatic" diplomacy, to deal with the matter.

Known for his extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and trade issues, Cho, a retired veteran diplomat, served as both the first and second vice ministers under the Moon Jae-in government before serving as the South Korean ambassador to the UN from 2019-22.

Earlier, Lee vowed to "stop the exhausting hostilities" with North Korea and resume inter-Korean dialogue and collaboration.