Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Affairs and Defense Joint statement after ‘2+2’ meeting on the 18th
Simultaneous visit to Korea after 11 years… The government “reaffirms the solidity of the ROK-US alliance”
It seems to be dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue… Pay attention to whether to request’quad’ membership for China
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The US Secretary of State and Defense will visit Korea on the 17th. The ROK and the United States are expected to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue, cooperation between the US and Japan, and global issues including China. The Korean government expects this visit to reaffirm the solidity of the ROK-US alliance and strengthen cooperation.
Foreign Ministry officials said on the visit of US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the 16th to “reflect the strong will of the Biden administration to restore the alliance and restore leadership on global issues through alliance and cooperation.” Said. The official said, “This is the first time since July 2010 that the US Secretary of State and Defense have visited Korea at the same time.” Evaluated as.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers arrive in Korea in their own private planes on the afternoon of the 17th and hold meetings with the ROK and US foreign ministers and defense ministers, respectively. Next, on the morning of the 18th, a ‘2+2’ meeting will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, in which the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of both countries attend. At this meeting, Ambassador Chung Eun-bo and US Ambassador Robert Rapson will go to the SMA, which was finalized on the 7th.
Both sides of the ROK and the US will adopt a joint statement containing the results of the 2+2 meetings and hold a live press conference. There are four agendas for the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and 2+2 meetings: current issues and development directions for the ROK-US alliance, issues on the Korean peninsula including the North Korean nuclear program, cooperation between the United States and Japan, and regional and global cooperation.
In particular, attention is paid to how the US side will reveal its position on the North Korean nuclear issue. The US is currently reviewing its policy toward North Korea and is expected to complete the review within a few weeks after exchanging opinions with the Korean side during the visit to Korea.
The Biden administration recently tried to contact North Korea since mid-last month, but it has also officially confirmed that it has not received any answers. In the midst of this, North Korea’s Labor Vice President Kim Yeo-jeong warned the United States in a discourse that “it would be better not to create a sleek job from the start,” and more attention is focused on the direction of US-North Korea relations.
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The two sides are expected to emphasize the importance of cooperation between the United States and Korea in this meeting. On the 14th (local time), the US released data in the name of a spokesman for the State Department and released messages day after day that Korea-Japan relations need to be improved, stating that “No relation is more important than relations between Japan and Korea.” We are interested in whether this pressure from the US can be a driving force to restore dialogue between Korea and Japan that has been cut off.
It is noteworthy that there will be a request for cooperation from the United States in relation to cooperation with China. This is because there are many issues related to China in the vision of a’free and open Indo-Pacific’ that the US wants to realize with its allies such as Korea and Japan.
There may be an explanation from the US on the results of the’Quad’ summit, which was held on the 12th of the four countries of the United States, Japan, India and Australia. It is evaluated that the quad aims to keep China in check in the Intae area, so it is of interest whether the US will make related requests, such as an offer to join Korea.
The US is also expected to mention human rights issues, such as China’s repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that due to the nature of a ministerial-level dialogue on the Chinese issue, various issues will be discussed in a large framework, and that the details have not been coordinated with the US side except for the four agendas.
In addition, the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) quarantine, climate change response, and the Myanmar crisis are also expected to be discussed. The two ministers prevent President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House on the afternoon of the 18th. After that, Minister Blincoln held a video conference with youth leaders and the media, and Secretary Austin visited the Cemetery with Defense Minister Seo Wook. Minister Blincoln plans to depart from Korea on the evening of the 18th and Austin on the morning of the 19th.
/ Intern reporter Park Yena [email protected]
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