Washington: Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul has reaffirmed the steadfast South Korea-U.S. alliance and called for further developing bilateral ties during his meeting with his U.S. counterpart on the anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, his office said Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kwon held talks with U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas Collins in Washington on Sunday, ahead of a ceremony commemorating the 72nd armistice anniversary at the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
In the meeting, Kwon expressed deep gratitude over the U.S. deployment of troops to the three-year civil war and voiced hope that bilateral cooperation between the two nations will advance across a wide range of areas, including the economy and the industry, on the back of their alliance.
He also thanked Collins for attending the ceremony and invited him to visit South Korea this fall. In response, the U.S. secretary stressed the importance of honoring Korean War veterans and thanked Kwon for the invitation, the ministry said.
Kwon is visiting Washington for a four-day visit to discuss veterans affairs and deliver a speech on behalf of President Lee Jae Myung, who pledged to strengthen the "blood-forged" South Korea-U.S. alliance across a broad spectrum of areas.