President Moon Jae-in talking on the phone with US President Biden on February 4th. Provided by the Blue House
The Blue House announced on the 17th that President Moon Jae-in will meet with US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense at the Blue House at 3 pm on the 18th. President Moon interviews the US Secretary of State and Defense, who have visited Korea, and receives reports on the results of his visit to Korea, including the results of the 2+2 (Korea-US Foreign Ministers of Defense) meeting to be held on the 18th. This is the first time President Moon interviews a senior official in the US administration, Biden, who was launched this year. President Moon met with them, and although his term of office remains for about a year, it is expected that he will again express his will to improve relations with North Korea, including the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. President Moon’s apology for allegations of speculation by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH·LH) the day before seems to be a paving stone for moving to a’diplomatic time’ after finishing domestic issues for a while. In addition, Seo-hoon, head of the Blue House National Security Office, also interviews the two ministers separately from the presidential joint interview. Director Seo Hoon is scheduled to meet with Secretary of Defense Austin first before the joint interview, and then meet with Defense Minister Blincoln separately after the interview. The Blue House explained that it plans to exchange opinions on issues around the world along with issues on the Korean Peninsula. Interest is focused on the opinions of the US Secretary of State and Defense to visit the Blue House and comment on the biden administration’s review of North Korea policies. The Blue House said in February that President Moon and US President Biden made a call between the two leaders, “the two leaders shared the recognition that they need to come up with a comprehensive strategy toward North Korea as soon as possible.” An official at the Blue House said on the 10th, “The new US administration has taken too much time to review the North Korean policy, so it will not be done.” It seems that the review will reflect the results of the consultation with Korea.” In addition, it is noteworthy that the US Secretary of State and Defense Minister first visited Japan before visiting Korea, emphasizing cooperation between the ROK-US-Japan alliance. This is because while President Biden is emphasizing the alliance and trying to check China, South Korea may also be asked to participate. President Biden recently held a summit meeting with the US, Japan, Australia, and India for the check against China. An official at the Blue House said, “The details of the discussions in the quad are being investigated in detail through the US and other quad participants. We are in a position that if we comply with transparency, openness, inclusion and international norms, we can actively cooperate with any regional cooperation organization or initiative.” By Lee Wan, staff reporter