Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk to the U.S.: "Security with the U.S. and Economy with China... Both Elements Must Go Together"

"Security and Economic Differences May Arise Between Korea and the US Due to Changed Past and Situations"
"Possibility of North Korea-US Negotiations After US Presidential Election"

Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk to the United States Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 3rd (local time), Lee Soo-hyuk, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, said that in considering the future of the Korea-US alliance, it must be taken into account that the US is Korea's ally and China is an important economic partner. He viewed the possibility of North Korea provoking before the November US presidential election as low.

At a virtual discussion event at George Washington University on the same day, Ambassador Lee said, "How Korea should position itself to cooperate with both (the US and China) while maintaining a strong alliance with the US is a very important issue for the Korean government."

He added, "We need to contemplate the future of the Korea-US alliance. In that process, the fact that the US is our ally and China is one of our largest regional trade partners?that is, Korea's geopolitical uniqueness?must be considered."

Ambassador Lee said, "We rely on the (Korea-US) alliance from a security perspective and on China from an economic cooperation perspective," and added, "How to cooperate between the US and China is very important, and there is a very sharp debate regarding the Korean government's positioning."

He emphasized, "A country cannot survive on security alone. Economic activity is as important as security. Therefore, these two elements must go together."

Regarding questions about cracks in the Korea-US alliance, he drew a line by saying, "It is a very strong and healthy alliance," expressing disagreement. He continued, "Unlike in the past, now both Korea and the US have social, political, and economic situations that are completely different from before, so disagreements can arise not only on security but also on various issues such as the economy."

On North Korea, he said, "It seems they are waiting for the November US presidential election. I do not expect a significant change in the current trend," and forecasted, "However, there is a high possibility that North Korea and the US will negotiate after the election."

Ambassador Lee added that it will not be an easy task for North Korea to reach a 'Complete, Verifiable, and Irreversible Denuclearization' (CVID) agreement, and without CVID, unification of the Korean Peninsula cannot be expected.

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