Minister Kang Kyung-hwa "Expecting the 'Summit for Democracy' Declared by President-elect Biden"

Minister Kang emphasizes "New President's Political Will Important for Peace on the Korean Peninsula"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed her expectations for the "Summit for Democracy" that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden announced he would hold after taking office next year.

In her keynote speech at the Aspen Institute Security Forum in the U.S. on the 11th, Minister Kang identified the spread of democracy as an area to cooperate with the new U.S. administration, saying, "I look forward to the Summit for Democracy that the President-elect declared during the election period." She also mentioned that South Korea participated during the Bill Clinton administration.

The Democracy Forum is an international conference established at the 1998 South Korea-U.S. summit to discuss the spread of democracy in East Asia, and it was first held in Seoul in 1999.

Minister Kang also shared her views on the outlook for South Korea-U.S. relations. She said, "Very meaningful signals are coming from the new administration," adding, "Although we had broad and deep cooperation with the Trump administration, the uniqueness of the president and his close aides was a challenge."

She continued, "We were able to closely consult on current issues such as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing. We started from different positions and have yet to reach an agreement," emphasizing, "The defense cost-sharing agreement is the issue that must be discussed first with the new administration, and I hope to discuss it in relation to strengthening the alliance."

She also added remarks urging U.S. cooperation for progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process. Minister Kang said, "The most urgent issue for South Korea and the U.S. to cooperate on is the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace," and added, "It is necessary to clearly show the new president's will for progress in the Korean Peninsula peace process."

Regarding the possibility of Six-Party Talks, she expressed a negative stance. Minister Kang explained, "Multilateral talks can be considered, but what North Korea wants can only be provided by the United States."

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