Top diplomats of S. Korea, US reaffirm alliance
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hold a press conference at the State Department in Washington D.C., Friday. The two diplomats met to discuss issues surrounding the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. / AFP-Yonhap
By Lee Min-hyung
The U.S. troops stationed in South Korea are a symbol of an alliance between Seoul and Washington whose position cannot be negotiated with Pyongyang, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said after a meeting with her U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo in Washington D.C., Friday.
“South Korea wants to reaffirm that the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea tops the list of agenda topics regarding the Seoul-Washington alliance,” Kang said after having talks with Pompeo. “Neither of us discussed anything about reducing the size of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).”
The remarks came amid sprawling rumors that the two countries may downsize the USFK or even withdraw it depending on the outcome of the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The rumors sprouted because Pyongyang appears on track to prove its strong willingness to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, with the regime pledging to dismantle its nuclear test site this month.
“Any issues surrounding the USFK should be discussed between South Korea and the U.S., not North Korea,” Kang said. For this reason, the fate of the U.S. troops here will not be on the dialogue table during the Washington-Pyongyang summit, and Pompeo agreed, according to her.
She also noted that the decades-long alliance between Seoul and Washington has served as a foundation to maintain security on the peninsula.
“We also reaffirmed that the USFK, which stayed here for 65 years, has played a critical role as a deterrent, boosting peace and stability here,” the foreign minister said.
The top diplomats from the two countries also reached a consensus to achieve their ultimate goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) on the peninsula.
No specific agreements have been made between Washington and Pyongyang, after the latter signed an agreement with its southern counterpart last month. At that time, Kim Jong-un pledged to put a complete end to its nuclear armament and ease military tension in a rare peace signal.
“Seoul and Washington look forward to watching more detailed measures for the regime's denuclearization during the upcoming Trump-Kim summit,” Kang said. “So at the moment, we are not discussing any plans to relax sanctions on North Korea.”
However, Pompeo said the U.S. is ready to help North Korea achieve an economic prosperity if the regime makes drastic and bold decisions for the rapid denuclearization.
The first-ever Washington-Pyongyang summit is scheduled on June 12 in Singapore. Ahead of the summit, South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to meet with Donald Trump on May 22 to discuss possible agenda topics to be discussed during the Trump-Kim summit.
Kang did not share details on the upcoming Seoul-Washington summit, only saying that continuous communication between Moon and Trump is critical for the success of the U.S.-North Korea summit.