Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met briefly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Paris, though pressing concerns like the Strait of Hormuz and summit follow-ups went largely unaddressed as time ran short, according to the foreign ministry Sunday. Their brief encounter took place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting Friday (local time), where Rubio attended only the second day of the two-day gathering. The meeting was largely an exchange of greetings rather than informal “pull-aside” talks that often occur between countries on the margins of multilateral meetings, leaving little time to discuss pending issues, the ministry said. Korea is considering how it can contribute to international efforts to ensure the safety and free navigation of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy supplies effectively closed amid the Middle East conflict, in a way that minimizes any strain on its alliance with the United States and its relationship with Iran. Seoul is also seeking to speed up the implementation of security agreements with Washington under their
