FM Cho says his Japan visit preceding US trip can help 'upgrade' 3-way cooperation

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday he believes his visit to Japan before going to the United States will help "upgrade" not only the bilateral ties with Tokyo, but also trilateral cooperation among the three countries. Cho made the remark ahead of his departure for Tokyo, where he was scheduled to meet one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for the first time since taking office early last week. The foreign ministry announced Monday that Cho will visit Japan before flying to Washington later this week for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "The reason I am going to Japan first is because I believe it will help upgrade not only our bilateral relations with Japan, but also trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan," Cho told reporters at Gimpo International Airport ahead of his departure. "I don't think there has ever been a case where a foreign minister's first trip abroad after taking office was to Japan," he said. Cho's decision to stop in Japan before the U.S. is seen as atypical, as newly appointed foreign ministers have generally chosen WashingtoWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times