ROK-US alliance evolves from security treaty to comprehensive partnership
Foreign Minister Pyon Yong-tae, front left, and his U.S. counterpart John Foster Dulles attend a press conference after signing the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries in Seoul in this June 1953 photo. Korea Times fileRelationship grows stronger as it endures 70 years of domestic, geopolitical testsBy Jung Min-hoUpon signing the Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. in 1953 after the Korean War, South Korea's first president, Syngman Rhee, said that the agreement would make the war-torn nation prosper “for many generations to come.” Seven decades later, that message of hope rings true, as Yoon Suk Yeol makes a state visit to Washington as the president of one of the world's most prosperous countries and a believer in how much the successful partnership can achieve.The two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of what has expanded to become a comprehensive alliance encompassing a wide range of sectors from science to environment. Over the decades, their ties have been tested by many domestic and geopolitical challenges, only to grow stronger. The defense pact
Apr 25, 2023By Jung Min-ho
