The key facts

  • South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris.
  • With the US, they discussed bilateral relations, high-level exchange visits and issues related to North Korea.
  • With Canada, they agreed to expand cooperation in AI, defense and stable supply chains.

Meetings in Paris

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held meetings with his American and Canadian counterparts on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris on Tuesday, the foreign ministry in Seoul said. This is reported by Anadolu citing the Seoul ministry and the Yonhap news agency.

Talks with the US: North Korea and unfulfilled commitments

During a brief meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cho Hyun exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, high-level exchanges and issues related to North Korea. The meeting took place against the backdrop of Seoul's efforts to maintain momentum on key bilateral and regional topics following the outcome of the US midterm elections.

Context: what remains unimplemented

A significant addition to the report on the meeting is the acknowledgment that there are no practical results yet: according to Yonhap, Seoul and Washington have not achieved substantial progress in follow-up consultations on the key security commitments enshrined in the joint fact sheet issued after the summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean leader Lee Jae-myung in October 2025. The agency separately notes that Trump called on South Korea and other countries to help ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively blocked amid the US war with Iran; Seoul, for its part, ruled out sending combat units, saying it would not dispatch troops in a way that could draw the country into a foreign conflict.

A separate track with Canada

With Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Cho Hyun discussed expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, defense and other areas. The sides agreed to continue close coordination as 'comprehensive strategic partners,' noted the deepening of cooperation through the growth of Canadian exports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, and agreed to work together to ensure stable supply chains. In the defense sphere, coordination will be developed on the basis of the joint statement on strategic partnership in security and defense signed by Lee Jae-myung and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last year.