[시론] Gangjeong ‘2+2’ talks in the hollow

Hong-gyun Kim, contract professor at Dong-A University, former head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Bargaining Headquarters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Korea-US joint statement not specifying’denuclearization’

OPCON conversion also ceases to reaffirm the principle

Contrast with the US-Japan statement on strengthening the alliance

The’Korea-US Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministers (2+2) Meeting’, which had never been held during the presidency of Donald Trump, was held in Seoul after five years last week. Unlike former President Trump, who treated the alliance as a target for money, the Cho Biden administration, which respects the alliance and prioritizes cooperation with the alliance, chose Korea and Japan as the first overseas patrols for the U.S. Secretary of State and Defense. It is an opportunity for Il-woo genius to restore the ruined ROK-US alliance. However, when looking at the joint statement released after the 2+2 talks, there are not one or two disappointing parts.

The issue of North Korea’s response to the ever-increasing nuclear and missile threats is the hottest topic of the ROK-US alliance. Even taking into account that the Biden administration’s review of North Korea policy is under way, the common goal of the ROK and the United States should be clearly stated in the joint statement in light of the severity of the issue. However, there is no word for denuclearization anywhere in the joint statement. The North Korean nuclear-missile issue is a top priority issue, and there are only stupid phrases reaffirming the common will to resolve the issue.

This is not the case with the US-Japan joint statement released a few days earlier. The will of the US and Japanese ministers for “complete denuclearization of North Korea” is clearly written. The absence of this word in our joint statement translates only to the fact that the ROK and the United States have disagreements on the North Korean denuclearization goal. In fact, US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln said in all talks that the denuclearization of North Korea was the policy goal of the United States. It is unknown whether the South Korean side could not agree by arguing for “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” which North Korea prefers rather than denuclearization of North Korea. The fact that the word for North Korea’s denuclearization is not included in the first joint document since the inauguration of the Biden administration will be a problem for the future.

The defense and deterrence, the core of the military alliance, cannot be erased. While the ROK-US failed to resolve disagreements over the timing of OPCON transition and only reaffirmed the principle of transition based on conditions, the US and Japan pledged close consultations during the Global Posture Review process dealing with the global relocation of US troops. The ROK-US statement only reaffirms the provision of expansion deterrence’using all available capabilities of the United States’, while the US-Japan statement states that expansion deterrence is strengthened through consultations on the role, mission, and capabilities of the alliance. It is very worrisome that the two statements show such qualitative differences at a time when the possibility of changes in the USFK and the trust in the US provision of nuclear umbrellas are raised.

Minister Blincoln said he must confront China’s coercive and aggressive violations of democracy, and said he hopes to achieve a common view with South Korea as well. It is a clear expression of hope that South Korea will join the Biden administration’s public alliance front. In the joint statement, phrases aimed at China, such as opposing rules-based acts that hinder international order, respect for undisturbed trade and international order, and building a free and open Indo-Pacific region, were published, but did not point to China. Our government would have opposed it. In the US-Japan statement, we pledge to face it, saying that China’s actions are a political, economic, military, and technical challenge to the US-Japan alliance. From the point of view of the United States, which had a tough war with China yesterday, it would have become clearer who were allies based on common values ​​and principles.

At the end of the US-Japan statement, taking into account the depth and breadth of the US-Japan alliance and to give momentum to a number of joint policy initiatives, the US-Japan statement declared an additional 2+2 talks to be held in the second half of this year. There is nothing in the Korean-US statement. This is the current address of the ROK-US alliance, which has cleared the masses.

/ Ministry of Public Opinion Readers

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