1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, who is on a visit to Korea to attend the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2023 (Oct. 17-22), at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister on October 19 at 09:30-10:00. In the meeting, the two sides had in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including bilateral relations, the Indo-Pacific Strategy, and defense and security cooperation.

2. Foreign Minister Park stated that Korea intends to continue close cooperation with Australia, a key partner that shares Korea’s vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, and welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Marles, who visited Korea again five months after his last visit for the 2023 Korea-Pacific Islands Summit. Foreign Minister Park also appreciated that the two countries are communicating with each other more actively than ever, mentioning the high-level exchanges that have taken place every 2-3 months.

3. Deputy Prime Minister Marles stated that Korea and Australia are stepping up cooperation in various areas based on their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and expressed hope to continue close coordination with Korea for regional stability and prosperity.

4. The two Ministers committed to strengthening strategic communication and solidarity between the two like-minded countries, based on their similar visions for the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, the two Ministers appreciated that bilateral cooperation is increasing in various fields, including defense and the defense industry, economic and trade affairs, energy and climate change, and social and cultural affairs, with bilateral trade volume hitting a record high last year, and they agreed to further expand substantive cooperation. Particularly, Foreign Minister Park asked for the Deputy Prime Minister’s interest and support for Korean companies to contribute to building Australia’s defense capabilities.

5. Foreign Minister Park’s meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Marles served as an opportunity for Korea and Australia, which is Korea’s important partner, to affirm their will to deepen bilateral relations, and discuss ways to enhance their friendship and cooperation.