"US Deputy Assistant Secretary: Removal of USFK Maintenance Phrase Unrelated to Defense Cost Negotiations, Warns Against 'Overinterpretation'"

Naper Deputy Assistant Secretary: "Focus on Wise Redeployment Based on US Defense Department Assessment"
Ko Yoon-joo, Director at Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "No Discussion of USFK Reduction During Defense Cost Negotiations"
"Establishing 'Alliance Dialogue' Under Review Alongside Other Consultative Bodies"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Amid differing interpretations regarding the recent omission of the phrase "maintaining the current level of U.S. Forces Korea" in the joint statement of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the U.S., Mark Naper, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, emphasized that this was not intended as pressure linked to the deadlocked South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing negotiations.

At a virtual conference titled "Prospects and Challenges of the South Korea-U.S. Alliance," co-hosted by the Sejong Institute and the Heritage Foundation on the 28th, Deputy Assistant Secretary Naper responded to a moderator's question asking if the omission was meant to pressure South Korea in the defense cost-sharing talks by saying, "It is not a threat to twist South Korea's arm," and explained, "The message is aligned with the U.S. Department of Defense's global assessment on how to deploy U.S. troops as wisely as possible, not targeting South Korea."

He also assessed that too much significance was being attributed to the omitted phrase in the joint statement. Deputy Assistant Secretary Naper stated, "The omission of the sentence is receiving more attention than necessary and too much meaning is being assigned to it." At the same meeting, Go Yoon-joo, Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also explained, "There has been no discussion of reducing U.S. Forces Korea during the defense cost-sharing negotiations," and added, "The omission of the phrase reflects the process of the U.S. government's global policy."

Regarding the establishment of a new South Korea-U.S. director-level consultative body tentatively called the "Alliance Dialogue," he mentioned that its validity is being reviewed in comparison with other existing consultative bodies. Deputy Assistant Secretary Naper said, "We discussed in September how it could contribute to improving South Korea-U.S. communication and coordination, and we are examining its validity alongside other consultative bodies already in operation." Additionally, Director-General Go stated, "We agreed on the importance of systematic working-level talks at the South Korea-U.S. deputy ministerial meeting," and added, "Although progress on the Alliance Dialogue was delayed due to difficulties in delegations visiting each other amid the COVID-19 spread, it is moving in the right direction."

Deputy Assistant Secretary Naper stated that the security consultative body known as the "Quad," centered on the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia, is not functioning as an official consultative body. The Quad is essentially a security consultative group aimed at China, and there have been suggestions of a so-called "Quad Plus," which would include countries such as South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam.

He explained, "The Quad's recognition and importance are continuously growing, and the participating countries share values," but added, "Decisions on whether to regularize it or whether to apply exclusivity regarding participating countries have not yet been made." Director-General Go said, "South Korea's principles are transparency, openness, and inclusiveness," and emphasized, "All initiatives can be discussed only if these three principles are maintained."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.