US National Security Advisor Visiting Vietnam: "ROK-US Relations Will Continue to Maintain a Strong Partnership"

For North Korean Provocations, "A Strong ROK-US Alliance Will Send a Message to the DPRK"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] "No matter what happens on January 20th next year or who becomes president, I am confident that the South Korea-U.S. relationship will continue to maintain a strong partnership as it has for the past 70 years."

Robert O'Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, who is visiting Vietnam and the Philippines consecutively, stated this during a phone briefing on the 23rd through the State Department's Asia-Pacific Media Hub. In response to a question about how the U.S. is preparing for possible North Korean provocations during the transition of the U.S. administration, he emphasized that "thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea," highlighting that the strong partnership between South Korea and the U.S. sends a message to North Korea.

He also expressed satisfaction that there have been no intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches or nuclear tests since the North Korea-U.S. summits. Advisor O'Brien, who is staying at the Hanoi Metropole Hotel where President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un held their second summit, said, "I am satisfied that there have been no missile launches or nuclear tests since the North Korea-U.S. summits," adding, "I believe this is the result of private diplomacy between President Trump and Chairman Kim."

He also conveyed the hope that North Korea will fulfill its commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Advisor O'Brien added, "The United States hopes that Chairman Kim will fulfill his promise of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Earlier, Advisor O'Brien visited Vietnam to continue efforts to expand the multilateral security cooperation group 'Quad,' which targets China. The U.S. is encouraging participation from South Korea, Vietnam, and others following Japan, Australia, and India. According to local Vietnamese media such as VN Express, Advisor O'Brien urged Vietnam to join the Quad during high-level meetings and reportedly reached an advanced agreement to "jointly respond to regional challenges and continue cooperation for regional and global peace." In diplomatic circles, O'Brien's visit to Vietnam is seen as a move to emphasize Southeast Asia's importance in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.

He also reiterated a tough stance toward China. On the 22nd, during a lecture at the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy, Advisor O'Brien targeted China, stating, "China must learn to act according to international rules," and criticized, "It should not treat the South China Sea as its own lake."

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