The outgoing U.S. envoy to Seoul said Wednesday that the two nations should broaden their partnership to meet an array of global challenges.
Alexander Vershbow said their time-honored alliance still has important security functions but should diversify its role.
"For the United States, a '21st Century Strategic Alliance' should have a mission that goes beyond the original purpose of the ROK-US. alliance, the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap News in a breakfast lecture titled "ROK-U.S. relations: The global dimension."
In one of his last lectures before ending his three-year stint in Seoul later this month, the outspoken envoy focused on broader global issues such as climate change, food security and multilateral trade, rather than the North Korean nuclear issue or bilateral concerns between Seoul and Washington.
"I believe our cooperation on climate change shows the way for us to broaden our cooperation on other global issues," he said. "Korea should see itself as one of the countries that can be a leader in forging a compromise that produces a badly needed boost to the developing world."
Vershbow also said South Korea and the U.S. need to step up cooperation in efforts to address human rights issues not only in North Korea but also in other nations.