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| Yun Byung-se |
Just a few hundred feet from the U.S. State Department is the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where citizens from both our countries paid their respects two years ago to mark the 60th anniversary of the alliance between the United States and South Korea. It serves as a fitting reminder of how our friendship was forged through shared sacrifice.
But we believe the greatest memorial to the thousands of Koreans and Americans who served and sacrificed together is the deepening solidarity between our nations through more than six decades of partnership and shared prosperity.
President Park Geun-hye will also pay her respects at the Korean War Veterans Memorial after she arrives in the United States for the second official visit of her presidency. Her trip falls between the two major harvest holidays of our countries: Chuseok and Thanksgiving.
So this is an appropriate time to take stock of our alliance and celebrate the closeness of our relationship, founded on the shared values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and strengthened people-to-people ties.
Our alliance has never been stronger; and given the staggering array of challenges we face, neither has it been more important.
Obviously, at the top of the list is North Korea. The United States and the Republic of Korea remain committed to the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula through credible and meaningful negotiations.
We remain open to dialogue with North Korea ― but the onus is on North Korea to demonstrate that it is serious about denuclearization. We need to be certain that North Korea is prepared to live up to its international obligations and commitments.
In the meantime, we will remain vigilant against the clear threat that North Korea poses.
Our shared security is at the heart of the U.S.-ROK alliance – but ultimately, our alliance is about much more. It's the linchpin of security, stability, and prosperity in Northeast Asia and beyond.
We will continue to modernize our capabilities so that we are prepared to face any threat.
Together, we have joined forces to counter the growth of violent extremism. Koreans and Americans have served together on the ground as peacekeepers in war zones, volunteers in developing countries, and medical practitioners in disease-stricken areas, most recently to beat back the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
And we are working together in international fora, where we continue to make significant progress on preventing the spread of infectious disease, combating global climate change, and providing health care and education to girls in developing countries.
Our relationship has matured from one focused primarily on security to one defined by a broad and comprehensive partnership.
We are exploring new frontiers in cyber and technology, global health, space, and the environment.
We are deepening our cooperation in nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and information and communications technologies.
Our space agencies collaborate on a range of activities, including solar system exploration and deep space communication.
And we reaffirmed our joint commitment to combat infectious disease at the Global Health Security Agenda ministerial meeting in Seoul.
Through all of these challenges, one constant has been the rock-solid alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea. The threats we face are too great for any one country to go it alone in the world. And just as we have for the past 62 years, the United States and the Republic of Korea will confront these tough issues together.
Ours is a partnership built to last.
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