US NSC Advisor: "Door to North Korea Denuclearization Talks Remains Open"

"US-Korea Negotiations Needed: Economic and Defense Issues Will Be Resolved and Strengthened"

From the left, Shigeru Kitamura, Director of Japan's National Security Secretariat; Robert O'Brien, White House National Security Advisor; and Jeong Eui-yong, Director of the National Security Office.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Robert O'Brien, White House National Security Council (NSC) Advisor, emphasized that although progress in North Korea-US denuclearization talks has slowed, the door to dialogue remains open. Regarding the conflict over the defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the US, he said it will be resolved and is expected to become stronger.

On the 30th (local time), Advisor O'Brien delivered a congratulatory speech at the online seminar "The Longest War: 70 Years of the Korean War," hosted by the US think tank Center for the National Interest. He stated that, as President Donald Trump said, the US wants to see North Korea achieve a bright economic future under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un.

Seemingly aware of the controversy surrounding former NSC Advisor John Bolton's memoir, O'Brien said, "President Trump did something no previous US president had done by engaging with Chairman Kim and building a relationship through the North Korea-US summits."

He continued to urge North Korea to avoid provocations and comply with the obligations imposed by the UN Security Council resolutions, calling for a return to continuous and substantive negotiations.

O'Brien described the current South Korea-US alliance as stronger than ever and a key pillar for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

He also expressed a positive outlook on the defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the US. He said the South Korea-US relationship is more than a simple military alliance and has built an important economic relationship over 70 years, emphasizing, "While there will be difficult negotiations on economic and defense issues between the two countries, these will be resolved and the result will be a stronger alliance."

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