By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 28 (Yonhap) — Seoul’s top envoy in Washington said Wednesday that he saw “bipartisan” support for the alliance between South Korea and the United States during his meetings with U.S. politicians and others during recent Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong visited the Democratic and Republican events in Chicago, Illinois earlier this month and Milwaukee, Wisconsin last month, respectively, amid a tight presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
“What I felt during my visits to the both conventions is that the width and depth of the South Korea-U.S. alliance is deeper than what it was in the past,” Cho said in a meeting with Korean reporters.
“Along with that, influential U.S. political figures clearly recognized the importance and value of the alliance and I could verify bipartisan support and expectation for the alliance,” he added.
South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong speaks during a meeting with reporters in Washington on Aug. 28, 2024. (Yonhap)
The ambassador voiced confidence that whoever wins the Nov. 5 general election, the Seoul-Washington alliance would continue to evolve.
He also pointed out that a bipartisan group of senators, led by Sen. Bill Hagerty, as well as a bipartisan group of six congresspeople will visit Seoul soon — a sign of deepening engagement between the two countries.
“During the Democratic convention, I met some 40 party figures. They evaluated the Seoul-Washington relationship as the best ever,” he said.
Cho vowed to strive for continued smooth strategic coordination between Seoul and Washington with the aim of maintaining strong bilateral relations.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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