At the US Department of State on April 26, MOFAT's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Jae-shin and William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, concluded an MOU between the Foreign Ministry and the State Department on the establishment of a staff exchange program. The MOU was concluded under the agreement reached at the ROK-US Foreign Ministers' Meeting on April 16.
The MOU calls for the Foreign Ministry and the State Department to dispatch one working-level official a year to work at each other's agencies. With both sides hoping for a mutual dispatch of officials within this year, the Foreign Ministry plans to dispatch one this fall at the earliest.
The expenses for dispatch will be shouldered by the dispatching country. The division, where the dispatched official will work, will be decided by the host country in consultation with the dispatching
country.
The staff exchange program is expected to contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between the Foreign Ministry and the State Department as well as the ROK-US alliance; and building a human network and facilitating smooth communication between the two government agencies. It is also expected to serve as a cooperation channel, through which prompt responses can be sought when an urgent issue emerges.
