5 Years Later, South Korea-US 2+2 Talks Begin... North Korea Checks with 'Choe Son Hui Statement' Following Kim Yo Jong

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong (right) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are taking a commemorative photo before their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doryeom-dong, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 17th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The first South Korea-U.S. foreign and defense ministers (2+2) meeting since the inauguration of the Biden administration began on the morning of the 18th.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook started the 2+2 meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Ministers Chung and Suh held separate individual meetings with Secretaries Blinken and Austin the day before, and the meeting on this day is expected to involve more in-depth discussions on bilateral diplomatic and security issues.

This South Korea-U.S. 2+2 meeting is the first in five years since 2016, and it is the first 2+2 meeting held between the Moon Jae-in and Biden administrations. It is also the first time in 10 years that the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense have visited South Korea simultaneously. The fact that newly appointed Secretaries Blinken and Austin chose South Korea as their first overseas destination also demonstrates the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the significance, stating, "The joint visit of the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense early in the Biden administration reflects a strong will to protect the alliance and restore global leadership. Including South Korea as the first overseas destination in their term reaffirms the importance and solidity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

The 2+2 meeting will discuss the South Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korean denuclearization, the Korean Peninsula issues, and regional and global matters. In particular, discussions will be held on the response strategies between the two countries regarding the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process' in relation to North Korea's denuclearization. In the previous day’s South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers meeting, Minister Chung emphasized progress in the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process,' while Secretary Blinken mentioned North Korean human rights issues, revealing subtle differences in perspectives between the two countries.

North Korea is also reacting sensitively to the 2+2 meeting. Following Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, on the 16th, North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui issued a statement on the 18th expressing a hardline stance, saying, "There will be no North Korea-U.S. talks unless hostile policies toward North Korea are withdrawn." She also hinted at a warning not to provoke North Korea during the 2+2 meeting, stating, "The U.S. Secretary of State, who visited Japan, loudly claimed that 'various pressure measures or stubborn means are all under review,' which seriously provoked us. Now that he is in South Korea, I am curious what kind of outrageous nonsense that would surprise the world he will spout."

Attention is also focused on the level of restraint regarding China. After the joint statement of the U.S.-Japan 2+2 meeting included opposition to "China's coercive actions," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs retaliated, saying it was a malicious attack on China's foreign policy. Secretary Blinken criticized China during his meeting with Minister Chung the day before, stating, "China is eroding Hong Kong's economy through coercion and asserting territorial claims in the South China Sea."

The meeting will last 90 minutes, followed by the signing ceremony of the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the U.S. After the signing ceremony, both sides will hold a joint press conference, and Secretaries Blinken and Austin will pay a courtesy call on President Moon at 3 p.m.

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