Seoul, Jan 20 (NationPress) South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to embark on a diplomatic journey to Turkey and Belgium later this week, as confirmed by the foreign ministry on Tuesday. His visit aims to facilitate bilateral discussions with both nations and engage in a strategic dialogue with the European Union.

This four-day mission will commence in Turkey, where he plans to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday (local time), according to the ministry's announcement.

The discussions are a follow-up to President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Turkey last November, as indicated by deputy ministry spokesperson Lee Moon-bae during a press briefing, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

During this meeting, the ministers will address the progress of key bilateral projects, particularly in areas such as nuclear energy, the defense sector, biotechnology, and infrastructure, Lee stated.

Following his time in Turkey, Cho will proceed to Belgium for the second strategic security dialogue with Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, on Thursday.

In 2010, South Korea and the EU upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership to enhance collaboration across various domains including security, defense, trade, and technology. The strategic dialogue was initiated in late 2024.

The two ministers will engage in extensive discussions regarding South Korea-EU relations and will exchange views on regional matters, such as the Korean Peninsula and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Lee mentioned.

While in Brussels, Cho also intends to have bilateral discussions with David Clarinval, the deputy prime minister and minister of labor, economy, and agriculture of Belgium.

On January 2, Cho Hyun expressed his commitment to enhancing the efficiency of South Korea's diplomatic missions abroad, as part of efforts to broaden and diversify the nation's foreign policy in response to a changing global landscape.

In a New Year address to foreign ministry officials, he outlined plans to optimize missions that are currently underperforming, while bolstering the roles of those located in critical areas.

"For missions that demonstrate limited effectiveness, we will implement efficient restructuring and enhance core functions by concentrating on key objectives," Cho articulated in his speech.

His comments followed media reports indicating the ministry had abandoned plans to establish new embassies in several nations after President Lee Jae Myung questioned the necessity of such expansion, reversing an initiative previously advocated by the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Cho urged overseas missions to collaborate more effectively with South Korean public entities operating internationally, ensuring that such collaboration yields benefits for Korean nationals and enterprises abroad.

"We will introduce systematic measures to manage performance and services, including empowering heads of overseas missions to supervise local public institutions more effectively and selecting officials suited for international assignments," he stated.

Cho also promised to guide the ministry toward increased summit diplomacy and to expand the economic scope of foreign policy.

"It is crucial now more than ever to seek and broaden new economic opportunities," he emphasized. "We will endeavor to promote diplomacy that enhances the well-being of our citizens and revitalizes businesses."

Looking ahead, he pledged to intensify summit-level diplomacy and actively engage with key regions to diversify South Korea's diplomatic outreach.