South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed a commitment towards strengthening their alliance during a phone call Thursday.
In his social media accounts, the South Korean leader said he had a "great conversation" with Biden and he welcomed "'America's return'" as the world is faced with multiple challenges.
The two nations have had generally good relations over the past decades and have been allies under the Mutual Defense Treaty since 1953. Ties were dampened for a while in 2017, when the Trump administration threatened to withdraw from the U.S.-Korea FTA.
With Biden's rise to power, Moon said that "America is back" in his congratulatory message for the newly-inaugurated Democrat leader.
According to Moon, both of them agreed that it was time to upgrade the U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) alliance that seeks to work towards peace and economic advancement.
Moon also said that he spoke with Biden regarding a shared sentiment between the two nations: climate change.
Biden has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive the United States' contributions to a greener environment. His commitments are a clear sharp turn from that of former U.S. president Donald Trump.
South Korea, on the other hand, under Moon's leadership, vowed last year to go carbon neutral by 2050 as it aims to join other countries that are battling the effects of climate change.
Experts have said that the commitments of both countries towards zero emissions will create new jobs and could help bring the potential of solar and wind power to center stage.
Should the two countries cooperate in prioritizing projects for solar and wind power, the next decade could see revolutions in mobile phone use and internet connections as well as clearer solutions in ending coal use.
Lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, Min Hyung-bae, wrote in an op-ed for the South China Morning Post that "both countries gain" if South Korea and the U.S. will cooperate in making quick decisions about clean energy.
Two weeks before the phone call, Moon urged Biden to hold talks with North Korea as part of the global efforts to dismantle the country's nuclear programs.
Moon offered to become the mediator should the U.S. and North Korea hold further negotiations. Moon encouraged Biden to build on former president Donald Trump's talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Aside from improving relations with North Korea, Moon has also urged Biden to help in establishing a diplomatic solution between South Korea and Japan.
For years, Japan and South Korea have been at odds due to legacies dating back to the former's colonial rule.
Thursday's call with Biden was the first call between Moon and the new U.S. president since inauguration day on January 20. The two previously spoke over the phone after Biden's November election win.
