First Simultaneous Visit by US Secretary of State and Defense to Korea in 11 Years... Government Reaffirms Strong ROK-US Alliance

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] South Korea and the United States are expected to address key issues such as the North Korean nuclear problem, trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and global issues including China during the visit of the U.S. top diplomatic and security officials to South Korea on the 17th.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluated on the 16th regarding the visits of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, stating, "It reflects the Biden administration's strong will to restore the alliance and regain leadership on global issues through alliance and cooperation."

He added, "Including South Korea as the first destination of their early term visits reaffirms the importance and solidity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and clearly declares it both domestically and internationally." According to the official, it is the first time since July 2010 that both the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense visit South Korea simultaneously.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two secretaries will arrive in South Korea on the afternoon of the 17th by their respective official aircraft and hold separate South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers and defense ministers meetings.

On the morning of the following day, the 18th, a '2+2' meeting will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, attended by the foreign and defense ministers of both countries. At this time, Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea’s Special Representative for Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiations, and Robert Rapson, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to South Korea, are scheduled to sign the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing, which was finalized on the 7th.

Both sides will adopt a joint statement reflecting the results of the 2+2 meeting and hold a live press conference. The agenda for the foreign ministers’ meeting and the 2+2 meeting includes four main topics: current issues and development directions of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula situation, trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and regional and global cooperation.

There is also keen interest in the U.S. position on the North Korean nuclear issue. The U.S. is currently reviewing its North Korea policy and is expected to complete the review within weeks after exchanging views with South Korea during the visit. Recently, the Biden administration officially confirmed that it attempted to contact North Korea since mid-last month but received no response.

Both South Korea and the U.S. are expected to emphasize the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan during this meeting. Regarding regional and global cooperation, attention is focused on whether the U.S. will request cooperation related to China. There may also be explanations from the U.S. side about the results of the Quad summit held on the 12th, involving the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia. Additionally, the U.S. is expected to mention human rights issues such as the oppression of the Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang region.

Regarding China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained that detailed coordination with the U.S. side beyond the four main agenda items has not been made. However, given the ministerial-level nature of the dialogue, various issues are expected to be discussed within a broad framework. Other topics likely to be discussed include COVID-19 prevention, climate change response, and the situation in Myanmar.

On the afternoon of the 18th, the two secretaries will pay a courtesy visit to President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House. Afterwards, Secretary Blinken will hold a virtual meeting with youth leaders and the media, while Secretary Austin will visit the National Cemetery with South Korean Minister of National Defense Seo Wook. Secretary Blinken is scheduled to return on the evening of the 18th, and Secretary Austin on the morning of the 19th.

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