Yoon Policy Coordination Delegation Forms Consensus on "Elevating ROK-US Comprehensive Strategic Alliance"

by Lee Kimin

Published 05 Apr.2022 09:38(KST)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The South Korea-U.S. policy consultation delegation of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol announced on the 4th (local time) that they "conveyed President-elect Yoon's vision to elevate the South Korea-U.S. alliance to a comprehensive strategic alliance at a higher level and formed a consensus with the U.S. government."

The delegation, visiting the United States to discuss President-elect Yoon's diplomatic and security vision, held a meeting with Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, at the State Department for about 1 hour and 50 minutes, discussing current issues such as North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches.

After the meeting, Chief Delegate Park Jin told reporters, "Substantial and meaningful consultations took place," adding, "The U.S. side also welcomed the President-elect's vision to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance, a core pillar of regional security and prosperity, as a partnership contributing globally to responses to the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19."

He continued, "North Korea's provocations continue amid our government's transition period," emphasizing, "We agreed that maintaining seamless cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in such a serious situation is more important than ever."

Chief Delegate Park also noted that both countries shared a consensus on the importance of high-level strategic meetings to enhance combined defense posture and extended deterrence, stating, "Maintaining deterrence capable of strongly responding to any provocation by North Korea is the most important."

He added, "To that end, we agreed on the importance of reactivating the consultative body for extended deterrence, which has not functioned properly in recent years." Earlier, President-elect Yoon pledged during his presidential campaign to practically revitalize the South Korea-U.S. Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG).

Chief Delegate Park particularly said, "The delegation had a detailed opportunity to explain the President-elect's North Korea policy vision to realize sustainable peace and security on the Korean Peninsula through North Korea's complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID), and the U.S. side also agreed."

This marks a reiteration of the term CVID by Chief Delegate Park, which North Korea had previously avoided due to its negative connotations. The Biden administration has mainly used the term "complete denuclearization" instead of CVID. Although this expression was used during the summit with President Moon Jae-in in May last year, it is reported that the CVID term was officially used in this meeting.

Regarding North Korean human rights, he said, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration takes North Korean human rights very seriously and will address this issue earnestly going forward," adding, "Especially when North Korean human rights resolutions are proposed at places like the United Nations, South Korea will take a proactive stance to lead and raise its voice."

Regarding the Quad (the security consultative group of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India), the delegation expressed its intention to participate in the working group, and it was conveyed that the U.S. side finds this desirable and has high expectations for South Korea's role.

Additionally, there was an explanation about the new U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea announced by the South Korea-U.S. nuclear representatives earlier that morning, with the delegation stating, "While a new resolution is necessary, given the presence of China and North Korea, we must persuade these countries to enable the resolution to pass."

Both sides also agreed that cooperation in economic sectors such as supply chains, nuclear energy, and vaccines will become major pillars of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the future and continuously discussed ways to deepen cooperation. The delegation held a separate meeting with John Kerry, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, to discuss cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in climate change and nuclear energy fields.

Earlier that morning, the delegation also met separately with Kurt Campbell, White House National Security Council (NSC) Indo-Pacific Coordinator. According to the delegation, Coordinator Campbell welcomed the next administration's intention to participate in the Quad working group and expressed expectations for various cooperation with South Korea.

The delegation plans to visit the White House on the 5th to deliver a personal letter from President-elect Yoon to President Joe Biden and coordinate schedules for the South Korea-U.S. summit.

Chief Delegate Park said in earlier meetings with U.S. officials, "I conveyed the hope that President Biden would definitely visit South Korea during his visit to Asia," and the U.S. side responded, "We are reviewing various options."

The delegation initially sought a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the same day, but it did not materialize as Secretary Blinken was scheduled to travel to Brussels from the 5th to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.