Blinken, "Considering 'Pressure and Diplomatic Options' on North Korea... Aiming to Improve the Lives of North Korean Residents" (Comprehensive)

Raising 'North Korean Human Rights' and China Issues Not Included in Joint Statement

On the morning of the 18th, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is heading to his seat ahead of the South Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, who visited Korea for the South Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) Meeting, announced that as part of the North Korea policy, he would consider "pressure and diplomatic options." He also mentioned issues not separately stated in the joint statement, such as North Korean human rights and China's anti-democracy problems, showing a willingness to resolve them.

At the joint press conference of the South Korea-U.S. 2+2 meeting held on the 18th at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Secretary Blinken said in his opening remarks, "The Biden administration plans to complete the review of North Korea policy through close consultations with South Korea, Japan, and other key partners," adding, "In this process, we will also consider the possibility of pressure options and future diplomatic options."

This hinted that the upcoming North Korea policy may include a "pressure option." The joint statement released before the press conference only included the content that "North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile issues are the alliance's top priority" and "there was agreement that North Korea issues should be handled under a fully coordinated North Korea strategy between South Korea and the U.S."

Secretary Blinken also raised the issue of "North Korean human rights," which was not separately mentioned in the joint statement. He emphasized, "We are committed to the denuclearization of North Korea, and our goal is to reduce the broad threats North Korea poses to the U.S. and its allies and to improve the lives of all Koreans, including North Korean residents," adding, "North Korean residents are suffering from widespread and systematic human rights abuses under an oppressive regime."

He also pointed out issues related to China. Secretary Blinken stated, "We clearly recognize that China has consistently broken its promises, and we discussed what China's aggressive and authoritarian actions are causing in the Indo-Pacific region," emphasizing, "China's actions have made it more important to pursue a common approach among allies." He continued, "There is a global trend of democratic and human rights backsliding," citing examples such as the Myanmar military's crackdown on protesters and China's anti-democratic behavior.

This content was not mentioned in the joint statement. Although both U.S. ministers identified China as a common threat faced by both South Korea and the U.S. the previous day, it was reported that the South Korean government took a cautious stance considering its relationship with China.

Nevertheless, Secretary Blinken raised the role of China regarding North Korea's denuclearization. He said, "I believe China can play a very important role. It can persuade North Korea to denuclearize," adding, "I hope China effectively uses its influence so that North Korea can move in the right direction toward denuclearization."

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