On April 26, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns and Republic of Korea Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jae-shin signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate a diplomatic officer exchange program. The MOU demonstrates the high level of cooperation and trust between the United States and the Republic of Korea. Through the officer exchange program, the U.S. Department of State plans to send one diplomat to act as a temporary liaison to the Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), and MOFAT plans to send a temporary liaison to the U.S. Department of State for up to one year.
This initiative provides an opportunity for the United States and the Republic of Korea to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s policy-making processes and to gain exposure to current expertise in each government’s interagency processes. The U.S. Department of State looks forward to the commencement of this officer exchange.
