US: "Olympic Boycott Is a Matter for Each to Decide" ... Reiterates Existing Position on Peace Declaration

Moon's "No Consideration of Goryeo" Mention Evaluated Ambiguously
US Repeats Existing Position on Declaration of End of War Support Remarks

President Moon Jae-in, on a state visit to Australia, is delivering a greeting at a dinner honoring Korean War veterans held at a hotel in downtown Canberra on the 13th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. State Department evaluated President Moon Jae-in's statement that South Korea will not consider a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics next year as a decision for the Korean government to make on its own. Although President Moon said that the U.S. and China also support the declaration of the end of the war, the State Department reiterated its existing stance of pursuing dialogue with North Korea.

On the 13th (local time), Jalina Porter, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, said in a phone briefing when asked about the U.S. government's position on President Moon's remarks on the declaration of the end of the war, "The decision on whether to participate in the Olympics is one that the Korean president must make on his own, and it is not a decision made by the U.S. or any other government."

Porter added, "Before the White House announced the diplomatic boycott, we consulted with our allies and partners," explaining, "This decision was made because of human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region."

Regarding the Korean War end-of-war declaration, Porter reiterated the existing position without any changes. He said, "We maintain the position of achieving permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea," adding, "We will continue to seek engagement with North Korea through a coordinated and pragmatic approach for substantive progress."

He continued, "We have no hostile intent toward North Korea," and "We are ready to meet with North Korea without any preconditions and hope that North Korea will respond positively to contact. To this end, we will continue close discussions with South Korea, Japan, and our allies." These remarks collectively reflect the statements the State Department and the U.S. have made regarding dialogue with North Korea.

The U.S. has never officially expressed support for the declaration of the end of the war.

President Moon said on the day, "The countries related to the declaration of the end of the war?the U.S., China, and North Korea?all have a principled supportive stance." However, he explained, "North Korea has not yet entered into dialogue because it demands the withdrawal of the U.S.'s hostile policy toward North Korea as a precondition."

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