Washington’s new top residential diplomatic envoy to Seoul has begun his official duties with a meeting with Foreign Minister Park Jin. 

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg sat down with Park at the foreign ministry building in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon and expressed his desire to further strengthen the alliance during his tenure and see the strategic global partnership between the two countries expand.

Goldberg said that it is an important time for Seoul-Washington relations, noting the alliance’s contribution to the safety of the Korean Peninsula and the broader region. 

He also expressed his hope for further cooperation between the two countries, stressing that the nascent global strategic partnership between the two allies is based on the democratic values they share, their commitment to universal human rights and the economic well being of the people of both countries.

Minister Park said the pursuit of universal values such as human rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law is the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s top priority, adding that he expects the alliance will further develop based on those values and play a crucial role for them both.