South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized that South Korea has "no doubts" about the United States' steadfast security commitment under President Donald Trump, citing strong bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress.

Axar.az, citing The Korea Times, reports that speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Cho addressed concerns over whether Trump's transactional foreign policy approach would impact Washington’s security pledges to Seoul, reiterating the "ironclad" nature of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

"President Trump has been dealing with the foreign relations from a transactional point of view, but there is a strong bipartisan support in Washington about the ironclad Korea-U.S. alliance and the importance of the Korea-U.S.alliance not only in dealing with the regional but also the global security issues," Cho said in English.

Cho acknowledged the growing regional security challenges, particularly the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and stated that South Korea may need to take a greater role in addressing these issues. He also responded to calls for South Korea's nuclear armament, asserting that it is premature to discuss "Plan B" at this stage, although it could be considered in the future.

"I think it is somewhat premature to talk about the Plan B," Cho said, though it is not "on the table for now, but that does not mean it will be off the table."

Balancing relations with both the U.S. and China, South Korea's largest trading partner, remains a challenge. However, Cho emphasized that the alliance with Washington remains paramount, asserting that the distinction between alliances and partnerships should be clear in South Korea's foreign policy.

"It is only natural that maintaining harmony in both relationships best serves South Korea's national interests," Cho said. "However, one thing is clear. An alliance is an alliance, and a partnership is a partnership. There should be no absolute equivalence between the two."