Foreign minister Park Jin met with U.S. lawmakers and former ambassadors on Thursday to seek support for efforts to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
According to Seoul's foreign ministry, Park held separate meetings with key figures of the U.S. Congress, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and committee member Young Kim.
In the meetings, Minister Park asked for their active support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which marks its 70th anniversary this year.
The minister also called for continued efforts to address Seoul’s concerns over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax benefits only to vehicles assembled in North America.
The U.S. lawmakers reportedly reaffirmed their solid support for the alliance, vowing active cooperation to further develop the bilateral ties seven decades on.
Minister Park also met with former U.S. Ambassadors to South Korea Kathleen Stephens and Mark Lippert and expressed appreciation for their continued efforts and roles in developing bilateral ties even after their retirement from the post.