President Moon Sends Congratulatory Message to Newly Elected US Congress Members Holding the Key to Korean Peninsula Denuclearization

Ongoing Calls with President-Elect Biden Emphasize Situation Management... Is Biden Called a Lynchpin to Contain China? Blue House Warns Against Overinterpretation

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Following a phone call between President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Joe Biden of the United States, congratulatory messages were sent to key leaders and electees of the U.S. Congress. This is seen as an effort to manage the situation with the U.S. Congress, which holds the key to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The Blue House announced on the 13th, "President Moon sent congratulatory messages to bipartisan and major standing committee leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democratic Party), who was re-elected in the U.S. congressional elections held on the 3rd, as well as representatives of Korea-related organizations."

The recipients of the congratulatory messages included Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican Party), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Democratic Party), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Republican Party). Messages were also sent to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (Republican Party), Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (Republican Party), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (Democratic Party), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Asia-Pacific Subcommittee Chair Ami Bera (Democratic Party).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Congratulatory messages were sent to a total of 12 federal lawmakers, including Gerald Connolly (Democratic Party), Mike Kelly (Republican Party), Joe Wilson (Republican Party), co-chairs of the Korea Caucus, and Senator Dan Sullivan (Republican Party), co-chair of the Congressional Korea Study Group.

The Blue House explained, "President Moon expressed gratitude for the interest and support of the U.S. congressional leadership and representatives of Korea-related organizations toward the Korea-U.S. alliance, and requested continued attention and support so that the alliance can continue to contribute as a core pillar of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."

The Blue House’s efforts to manage the situation are noteworthy due to the timing coinciding with the U.S. administration’s power transition. In this context, President-elect Biden stated during his call with President Moon the previous day that "Korea is a linchpin of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."

Earlier, in a call with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, President-elect Biden referred to Japan as the "cornerstone" of the Indo-Pacific region. Referring to Korea and Japan as the linchpin and cornerstone of the alliance is a phrase frequently used during President Barack Obama’s administration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There is also an interpretation that responding to the international situation in the Indo-Pacific region based on the Korea-U.S.-Japan security alliance is a strategic move to "contain China." The Blue House cautioned against overinterpretation and sought to clarify. Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok explained, "The term Indo-Pacific is a geographical expression of the region and is unrelated to the 'Indo-Pacific strategy.' Reports about an anti-China front are also untrue. There were no remarks related to China nor any such nuance."

Despite the Blue House’s clarification, concerns remain because the situation on the Korean Peninsula could change depending on President-elect Biden’s plans. The government and ruling party are closely monitoring the situation and responding accordingly. After returning from his visit to the U.S., Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said she met with people close to President-elect Biden to explain the declaration of the end of the war and the Korean Peninsula peace process.

The ruling party has also provided support by organizing a delegation to the U.S. in line with the power transition. At the Supreme Council meeting on the same day, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "A Korea Task Force (TF) delegation led by Song Young-gil, chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, will depart for the U.S. on the 15th. We hope to build networks with various figures and explore policies in advance."

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