Yoon Holds Meeting with US International Political and Economic Figures... "Confirming the Future Vision of the ROK-US Alliance"

Attendance of Former US Defense Secretary and Key Figures
President Yoon "Thankful for Efforts to Strengthen the ROK-US Alliance"
Support for ROK-US Efforts as an 'Active Alliance'

On the afternoon of the 26th (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol met with prominent figures in international politics and economics, including John Hamre, chairman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), at the State Guest House to discuss the past, present, and future direction of the historic 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance.

President Yoon held a roundtable meeting with distinguished figures at Blair House (State Guest House) in Washington DC, USA, the same afternoon, according to a written briefing by spokesperson Lee Do-woon.

Attendees included John Hamre, chairman of CSIS; former US Secretaries of Defense William Cohen and Chuck Hagel; Robert Zoellick, former US Trade Representative (USTR) and former World Bank president; former US Senator Chris Dodd; former National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon; former NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow; Kathleen Stephens, president of the Korea Economic Institute (KEI); and Victor Cha, CSIS Korea Chair.

President Yoon expressed his pleasure in meeting those who have taken the lead in advancing the South Korea-US alliance and promoting friendly relations across various sectors in the United States, saying he appreciated their efforts as former members of the US government and now as opinion leaders in American society working for the alliance.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon evaluated that the South Korea-US alliance, born at the dawn of the postwar Cold War, has endured through both the Cold War and post-Cold War periods and now stands at a turning point in world history as a 21st-century alliance embarking on a new starting point.

He also stated, "Through this morning’s meeting with President Biden, we confirmed the strong will of both heads of state to realize a 'forward-moving, action-oriented alliance' under the shared vision of the free world," and listened to the opinions of prominent American figures on the new leap forward of the South Korea-US alliance.

The attendees at this roundtable expressed that they take great pride in the historic achievements of the South Korea-US alliance over the past 70 years and evaluated that "President Yoon’s state visit to the US will be an important opportunity to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance and confirm the future vision for the alliance’s path forward."

Some participants mentioned that since President Yoon’s election, South Korea’s foreign policy has reached a significant turning point, and they have very high expectations for South Korea’s role and leadership amid the complex crises of the global order, spokesperson Lee said.

Furthermore, the attendees strongly supported the efforts of both South Korea and the US to advance the alliance as an "action-oriented alliance," emphasizing that the continued development of the South Korea-US alliance will contribute to peace and prosperity not only for the two countries but also for the region and the world.

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