Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told his Iranian counterpart Wednesday that South Korea believes the free and safe passage of all vessels through the Strait of Hormuz must be guaranteed, as Seoul weighs how to support maritime security without joining the Iran war. Cho raised the issue during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where he also called for sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East. The ministers signed a treaty allowing the transfer of sentenced prisoners between the two countries.

Cho also stressed that South Korea has continued to