Cho Tae-yong "North Korean Nuclear Threat is Realistic, Creative Solutions Must Be Examined"

US Embassy National Assembly Audit, Advanced Approaches to North Korea Nuclear Response
Ruling and Opposition Parties Criticize Inflation Reduction Act Response

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Cho Tae-yong, the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, stated on the 12th (local time) regarding countermeasures against North Korea's nuclear threat, "Since it has become a realistic threat, creative solutions should also be reviewed according to the development of the situation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee’s audit held at the South Korean Embassy in Washington DC that day, in response to People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo’s question about the need for Korean-style nuclear sharing, Ambassador Cho said, "North Korea's nuclear threat has become a realistic threat, not just a theory," and added, "I agree with the basic direction that our response capabilities should be strengthened accordingly."

Ambassador Cho explained, "However, the government's position is to strengthen the existing extended deterrence execution capability, and I understand that we are not currently at the stage of considering nuclear sharing," and added, "When the issue of nuclear sharing arises, it is actually a matter that requires discussion about what it would mean."

He said, "The most important thing is to strengthen our extended deterrence," and added, "We must strengthen it dramatically so that we can respond to the increasing North Korean nuclear threat in a strengthened and developed way different from the past."

Regarding the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), Ambassador Cho explained, "I believe it is necessary to raise the level and have substantive discussions at the ministerial level, and I proposed to the U.S. side to hold a ‘2+2’ meeting involving the foreign and defense ministers as soon as possible."

Regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol’s ‘Bold Initiative,’ he said, "We consulted with the United States and proposed it to North Korea," and added, "We asked North Korea to come to the dialogue, but since they have not come out to talk, there is no opportunity to explain."

Meanwhile, during the audit, the embassy’s response to the exclusion of Korean-made electric vehicles from the subsidy targets of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) came under scrutiny.

Members of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from both ruling and opposition parties criticized the embassy for insufficient prior trend monitoring and future response.

Kim Kyung-hyup of the Democratic Party criticized, "Although the IRA bill text was first disclosed on July 27, the embassy only reported the main contents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 4," and added, "Due to the embassy’s delayed ability to monitor trends and respond, the government missed a valuable opportunity to respond."

Lee Myung-soo of the People Power Party added, "We must humbly accept the opposition lawmakers’ criticism regarding the IRA law," and said, "The embassy says it could not keep up because there were too many provisions in the bill, but I cannot understand that. They should stay up all night and follow the legislature closely to grasp legislative trends."

During the audit, there was also mention of the so-called profanity controversy that occurred during President Yoon’s visit to New York. Ambassador Cho said, "Because we explained promptly, the U.S. administration did not raise any issues with us. (The U.S. side) fully trusts our explanation," and added, "If the distorted reports had continued to spread, it could have become a significant burden on Korea-U.S. relations."

Regarding the background of U.S. President Joe Biden sending a letter related to the IRA to President Yoon, Ambassador Cho explained, "After talking with the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), there was a recognition on the U.S. side that due to unavoidable circumstances in New York, the conversation could not last longer," and added, "Later, because of various controversies in Korea, the U.S. judged that although the conversation was short, it was meaningful, and it was good to send a letter indicating follow-up measures."

Ambassador Cho emphasized, "It seems correct to interpret that President Biden recognized the importance of this issue and reaffirmed his commitment to finding a solution with an open mind and honesty," and added, "Normally, a letter is sent by the person who visited a country after returning. Since it was sent by the U.S. president whom we met in the U.S., it is different from usual diplomatic customs and has special significance."

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