[아침신문 솎아보기] ROK-US joint statement filled on one page at once, evaluations are mixed

The news that the major general daily newspapers nationwide dealt with most importantly on the 19th is the joint statement adopted the day before. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the two countries held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 18th and adopted a statement. This will be the basic framework for the bilateral alliance and security issues in the era of the Biden administration. The ‘2+2 Conference’ is the first in the US administration by Joe Biden, and it has been four years since it was held in Washington, USA in October 2016. After adopting the statement, US diplomatic and security ministers visited the Blue House to meet President Moon Jae-in. Below are the headlines of the front page of the nine daily newspapers on the 19th.

Kyunghyang Shinmun: Korea-US “Compassionately coordinated strategy toward North Korea”
Kookmin Ilbo: US strikes in the face of the government, calling for joint response to alliance
Dong-A Ilbo: US “North Korea oppressive regime” North Korea “no dialogue” South “re-negotiation”
Seoul newspaper: Korea-US alliance confirmed, but denuclearization of the Korean peninsula fell
Segye Ilbo: South Korea fails to respond to requests to join US’anti-China solidarity’
Chosun Ilbo: Korea-US joint statement’North Korea denuclearization’ removed
JoongAng Ilbo: Between North Korea and China, Korea and the US were very different
The Hankyoreh: South Korea and the US “must be dealt with under full coordination of North Korea policy”
Hankook Ilbo: Quad, North Korean nuclear, human rights… The U.S. stabbed only Korean diplomacy’emergency’

Statement of time difference between the two countries… China’s checks, strengthening the alliance between South Korea and Japan

This statement revealed a large framework agreement on various pending issues and the difference between the two countries’ perspectives. The Kyunghyang Shinmun (“Complete implementation of the resolutions of the US Security Council”… reveals the intention of improving and strengthening sanctions against North Korea) said, “It seems that the Moon Jae-in administration needs policy coordination with the US in order to stably manage the situation on the Korean peninsula and make results in the field of diplomacy and security.” Told. First of all, while agreeing that North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues are a top priority, two countermeasures were suggested:’Reconfirmation of Mutual Defense Treaty Implementation and Expansion Deterrence Provision’, and’Complete Implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions’. The latter is a result of reflecting the US position. The’North Korean human rights’ issue, which the US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln has strongly discussed, could also serve as a new variable for future North Korean-US negotiations.

Contents aimed at China were also reflected in the joint statement. It is the point that “we oppose all actions that undermine and destabilize the international order based on norms.” However, the expression’China’ did not appear directly. The Kyunghyang Shinmun said, “It also means that the strategic goal of the USFK is shifting from suppressing North Korean provocations to containing Chinese checks. He predicted that Korea’s worries, which do not have a clear policy orientation toward China, will inevitably grow.”

The strengthening of cooperation between the US and Japan is also one of the pillars. The newspaper said, “The trilateral cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan was emphasized in all areas, including the stability of peace in the region including the North Korean issue, the US’s global strategy for competition with China, and dealing with disasters such as the spread of Corona 19. Since Korea-US-Japan cooperation is premised on improving Korea-Japan relations, this attitude of the United States may be pressure on both Korea and Japan, but the intensity of the pressure is much greater in Korea. A well-informed source pointed out that “not only will discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue, but also the Korea-US summit will be possible only when the ROK-Japan relations are improved.”

Confirmation of the ROK-US alliance, statement missing expression of’denuclearization’

The importance of resolving the ROK-US alliance and the North Korean nuclear issue was emphasized at the meeting of the ministers of both countries. President Moon Jae-in praised “the basis of foreign and security policy, an example of the success of the alliance unprecedented in world history,” and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “There is no relationship as important as the ROK-US alliance.” Communication’ revealed the will of’complete coordination’.

The Seoul newspaper said, “In the early days of the Trump administration, considering the fact that the Blue House struggled to reconcile disagreements over the North Korean nuclear solution, it is significant in that it confirmed the solid foundation of the ROK-US alliance early. However, even if the US was not pressured on the surface of the alternative, President Moon, who is concentrating on restoring the peace process on the Korean peninsula, is faced with the challenge of maximizing national interests amid the conflict that has a higher-order equation than before.”

The Hankyoreh (unlike the US-Japan statement…there was no mention of “China Quad” between South Korea and the US), “Unlike the “horse bomb” that US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln poured out against China and North Korea, Korea-US diplomatic and defense ministers talks. The joint statement that came out after the (2+2 talks) unexpectedly was’mild taste’,” he interpreted. The newspaper said, “Looking at the US-Japanese documents on the 16th and the public criticism that Secretary of State Blincoln poured out on the 17th and 18th, it is highly likely that the US initially required South Korea to include the same high-ranking public references as Japan. . However, it seems that the opposition from South Korea to maintain a’subtle balance’ between the US and China could not have been realized. It is believed that an unusually intense message of accusation to China was poured out by taking advantage of the opportunity to speak at the headlines of the Korea-US foreign ministers’ talks on the 17th that will be released.”

On the other hand, the JoongAng Ilbo said, “If it is difficult to participate in public pressure, it is time to calmly accept the strict reality that the alliance can only roll out if we speak out on human rights in North Korea. Participation in the quad should also be actively considered.” In an editorial (the change in US keynotes revealed at the 2+2 meeting, you should face it), “In the era of the Biden administration trying to bring sticks and carrots to North Korea in cooperation with the alliance, the Trump-era’summit show’ does not work.” The government must reinforce sanctions against North Korea by restoring the remarkably loose cooperation between the ROK and the United States over the past four years, and face-to-head with Washington in establishing a strategy to attract North Korea to dialogue. It is essential to restore cooperation between the United States and Korea through Japan, and it is necessary to speak out on human rights issues in North Korea.”

The Chosun Ilbo editorial (which the Wen regime prevented from putting’denuclearization of North Korea’ in the joint statement between the United States and the Republic of Korea) insisted that the expression’denuclearization’ was omitted in the joint statement, saying, “This strange thing has no choice but to be said to have occurred under the direction of President Moon Jae-in.” . The Chosun Ilbo said, “Korea is the country that is the biggest and the only real victim of the North Korean nuclear program. In this situation, even if the US says to exclude the term’North Korea’s denuclearization’, it is normal for South Korea to put it in.’ Should I laugh or cry? In this way, the goal of this regime would be to play the Kim Jong-un show once again and win the presidential election with it. They may soon reveal the true color of condoning and aiding the North Korean nuclear program.”

However, President Jak Moon met with the two US ministers and emphasized the’complete denuclearization of North Korea’. The Hankook Ilbo (President Wen, who first brought out “complete denuclearization of North Korea”) said that President Moon called “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” and “settlement of permanent peace” as “an urgent task for both countries”. Regarding the’temperature difference’ in the joint statement and President Moon’s remarks, the Blue House official said, “In the process of the Biden administration’s review of North Korea policy, the opinions and positions suggested by South Korea are reflected in the North Korean policy,” the newspaper said. It is interpreted as “the intention of raising the North Korean issue to the priority of US foreign policy even for President Moon’s discussion of the denuclearization of North Korea.”

Title minus’Minister’,’Press’ story… Backstory from the newspaper

Some newspapers published backstory of the seat, such as the adoption of a joint statement the day before. The Hankook Ilbo (except for the title of the minister, “Tony”, “Wook”…they called each other’s names) said, “In the 80-minute talks, Korea and the United States instead of the hard title of’Minister’ (the Secretary of State),’Tony’ (U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln), ‘ It is said that it was called as’Wook’ (Minister of Defense Seowook). Minister of Foreign Affairs Eui-yong Eui-yong and Minister of Foreign Affairs Blincoln said that even after the 2+2 talks, they spent 25 minutes of communication in the office of Minister Chung’s office on a one-to-one basis without a working staff.

There was also an event organized by the ministers of both countries to emphasize the friendship between Korea and the United States. The Ministers of the two countries participated in the ceremony to go to and order the defense cost-sharing agreement concluded earlier this month and applauded Korean negotiator Jeong Eun-bo and US Ambassador Robert Rapson during the signing. U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin paid a visit to Secretary of Defense Seo Wook and Seoul National Cemetery after completing the Blue House prevention. In fact, it is the place where the dead of the Korean-American alliance began in the Korean War. In his guestbook, Secretary Austin wrote,’I express my deep respect and respect to the great soldiers of Korea.’

Minister Blincoln, a former journalist, held a video conference with journalists in their 20s and 30s in Korea. Minister Blincoln has worked as a reporter for Harvard University’s campus newspaper’Harvard Crimson’ and a reporter for’The New York Republic’ for about a year after graduation. The Kyunghyang Shinmun said, “Minister Blincoln said,’In democracy, free press is essential,’ and he said,’We have deep respect for the press because it is essential for a democracy that works properly.’ In addition, “Minister Blincoln and Secretary Austin expressed their deep condolences at a press conference on the same day as they were about the death of four Korean women in the recent shootings in Atlanta. “We express our condolences to the families of the victims,” ​​said Austin. “This violence cannot be tolerated anywhere in our society,” the newspaper reported.

The Chosun Ilbo said, “It is said that it reflects Minister Blincoln’s willingness to hear the opinions of young people in Korea. Usually, when the US Secretary of State visited Korea, he gave a lecture at a domestic university, but it was known that the situation was unfavorable due to the coronavirus.”

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