'Moon-Abe meeting is an encouraging sign': US envoy

David R. Stilwell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, leaves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday morning, after holding talks with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and other high-level officials. Yonhap

US repeats pressure with Indo-Pacific drive

By Lee Min-hyung

President Moon Jae-in's recent meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is an "encouraging sign" in terms of improving bilateral relations, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affair David R. Stilwell said Wednesday.

"(I am) very encouraged while we were there to note that President Moon and Prime Minister Abe had the opportunity to talk and that's an encouraging sign, as we watched the relationship improve," Stilwell told reporters after talks with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul.

Earlier this week, Moon had an 11-minute conversation with Abe in Bangok during which they agreed to resolve all bilateral pending issues via open dialogue.

Stilwell had discussions with Kang on bolstering the three-way security alliance among South Korea, Japan and the United States. His visit is seen by some observers as sending a message that Washington wants Seoul to reconsider its decision to pull out of an intelligence-sharing pact ― the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) ― with Japan amid an ongoing trade and diplomatic dispute caused by differing interpretations of history.

Stilwell declined to comment on the details of his discussion on other issues with Kang, only saying that he expects the two countries to hold "more meetings."

In mid-August, the government decided to withdraw from GSOMIA, in response to Tokyo's apparent "trade retaliation" for a decision made by the South Korean Supreme Court on forced wartime labor. Seoul can reverse its decision up until Nov. 22 when the current pact expires.

Washington believes the GSOMIA is a major and symbolic security pact between its two Asian allies, and wants South Korea to reconsider its withdrawal in order to tighten regional security cooperation against possible threats from North Korea.

After holding talks with Kang and Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young, the U.S. envoy expressed hopes that Seoul and Tokyo will enhance their relations to bolster regional peace.

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Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said the government will make sincere efforts to address bilateral friction with Japan. "The Japanese government is also seeking to deal with key bilateral pending issues wisely," Ko told reporters in a briefing. She added the administration would not renew the GSOMIA unless Japan cancels the trade restrictions it imposed on high-tech exports to South Korean firms.

Stilwell reportedly had lunch with National Security Office Second Deputy Director Kim Hyun-chong somewhere outside Cheong Wa Dae, before resuming his schedule and holding talks with Ministry of National Defense officials.

According to the presidential office, Kim held talks with Stilwell and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams for just over an hour on "future-oriented" negotiations on security affairs between the allied countries.

"Both sides had a specific, constructive and future-oriented discussion on pending issues between the allies, such as the GSOMIA and the ongoing defense cost-sharing talks," Ko said in a statement.

Kim explained in detail the government's position on specific issues during the meeting. In response, Stilwell and Abrams reiterated that the Seoul-Washington alliance serves as a "linchpin" in Northeast Asia, according to the statement.

US Indo-Pacific drive weighing on South Korea

Kang and Stilwell also exchanged their support for each other's signature foreign policies. The U.S. diplomat particularly stressed the importance of South Korea backing Washington's Indo-Pacific drive, while at the same time pledging to help Seoul achieve its New Southern Policy of elevating ties with Southeast Asian countries.

"The U.S., Republic of Korea relationship and alliance is the linchpin of peace and security here in the Indo-Pacific region," Stilwell said. This U.S. policy is aimed at boosting security partnerships against the rise of the quasi-alliance of China, Russia and North Korea.

The repeated messages on the Indo-Pacific policy, however, could be problematic for Seoul as they come at a time when the two countries are engaged in negotiations on defense cost-sharing for the upkeep of the 28,500 USFK troops stationed here.

Seoul and Washington are in the early stages of negotiations for the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), so no clear consensus has been reached. But analyst note that the U.S. does want the South to pay "drastically more" next year because of U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated complaints that South Korea is getting a "free ride."

The growing uncertainty in the security environment on the Korean Peninsula is also pushing Washington to seek more from Seoul.

The U.S. is likely to step up political pressure on the issue if the South does not renew the GSOMIA, citing the cost this decision will have on maintaining security readiness and Washington's strategic interests.