WASHINGTON — South Korea’s prime envoy to the US pledged Tuesday to work intently with the U.S. to foster situations wanted for the resumption of diplomacy with North Korea, amid uncertainty over whether or not Pyongyang would accede to dialogue overtures.
New Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha, who served as Seoul’s overseas minister from 2017-2021, made the remarks throughout her first assembly with Korean correspondents since taking workplace final month.
“Whereas intently speaking with the U.S. facet, (we) will proceed (efforts) to safe assist for our coverage towards North Korea,” she stated.
“Along with the U.S., our authorities — as a peacemaker and a pacemaker — plans to proceed efforts to allow situations to turn into ripe for inter-Korean dialogue and dialogue between the North and the U.S.,” she added.
The ambassador used the phrases — peacemaker and pacemaker — that President Lee Jae Myung used throughout his White Home summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in August to underline his dedication to shut cooperation with the U.S. for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula.
She famous that via the 2 summits between Lee and Trump, together with the second in Korea final month, the 2 international locations have agreed to cooperate intently for peace and stability on the peninsula, and concurred on the significance of communication with North Korea.
Pointing to the “complicated” worldwide circumstances marked by “many troublesome challenges and uncertainties,” Kang stated that she feels a “heavy sense of duty” to implement the Lee administration’s “pragmatic” diplomacy, which she stated ought to be propped up by the “sturdy,” “future-oriented” alliance with the U.S.
“Inside round 5 months because the launch of the Lee administration, South Korea and the U.S. efficiently concluded the leaders’ reciprocal visits to one another’s international locations,” she stated.
“In consequence, agreements on commerce and safety have been struck, and we now stand at a brand new place to begin for the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
She expressed her perception that the belief between Lee and Trump and their will for cooperation will function a vital basis for the event of the alliance.
“At this embassy, all of us will make all-out efforts to make sure the hard-won outcomes on the frontline of diplomacy towards the U.S. can be applied with out a hitch,” she stated.
Commenting on the 2 international locations’ not too long ago launched joint truth sheet on bilateral commerce and safety agreements, Kang stated that Seoul and Washington have achieved “unprecedented”, weighty outcomes.
The outcomes, codified within the doc, embrace Seoul’s dedication to investing US$350 billion within the U.S. in return for Washington’s reducing of “reciprocal” tariffs on South Korean merchandise to fifteen p.c from 25 p.c, and the U.S.’ assist for Seoul’s push to accumulate nuclear-powered submarines.
Kang and her embassy plan to again up efforts to assist the 2 international locations proceed with these agreements as deliberate.
Concerning the submarine undertaking, the embassy is claimed to imagine that home procedural points within the U.S. or potential disagreements throughout the Trump administration may not pose any severe hurdle on condition that the very fact sheet clearly states the leaders’ will on the matter.
Hypothesis has lingered that Trump’s approval for South Korea’s submarine building may set off an inside debate over proliferation issues and different points.
