US Secretary of State and Defense Minister Emphasizing Alliance

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are ahead of a series of trips between Korea and Japan from the 15th to the 17th. Emphasis on trilateral cooperation between Korea, the United States, and Japan and the restoration of relations between alliesdid. Also “Only when we work together will we be able to face more powerful attacks and threats from China.”In other words, it predicted that the public pressure policy will be strengthened based on the cooperation between the US and Japan.

Secretary Blincoln and Secretary Austin, through a joint contribution published in the Washington Post on the 15th (local time), “Not only does the United States value our bilateral alliance, we are also focusing on reinvigorating relations between our allies.”Said. ‘Relationships between alliances’ means’Korea-Japan relations’. In their joint contributions, the two ministers mentioned Korea and Japan, which will be visiting immediately this week, as examples. The two ministers explained that “(Korea, the United States and Japan) are working together to counter the threats of North Korean nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in the fields of diplomacy and defense.” He emphasized, “We are cooperating on overall international security issues such as climate change, cyber security, and pandemic preparedness.” In addition, he explained that the Indo-Pacific region was made the first region to be visited by the Secretary of State and Defense directly, “The Indo-Pacific region is becoming more and more important internationally.”

Earlier, when the two ministers departed for Japan on the 14th (local time), the US State Department issued a data titled’Reconfirmation of the Unbreakable US-Japan alliance’ in the name of a spokesperson, emphasizing trilateral cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan. The US State Department said, “No relationship between the United States is more important than that with Japan and South Korea. A strong and efficient relationship between the US and Japan is essential to the common security and interests that protect freedom and democracy.”

As the U.S. side emphasized the cooperation between Korea, the U.S. and Japan for two days in a row, the possibility of ordering the restoration of Korea-Japan relations at the level of the alliance also increased during this visit. Specifically, there are observations that it may be proposed to establish a high-level consultation channel between the diplomatic authorities of Korea, the United States, and Japan. Minister Blincoln led the formation of the Vice Minister-level Council for Foreign Affairs of Korea, US and Japan in 2015, when he served as Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration.did. The South Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, the US Deputy Secretary of State, and the Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs met regularly to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and security in Northeast Asia. Representative Cho Tae-yong, who participated as the representative of the Korean side at the time, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs“The Biden administration is a policy that, unlike the Trump administration, it will use Korea-US-Japan cooperation as an important mechanism for maintaining stability in Northeast Asia.” “It is also highly likely to propose a framework for high-level regular consultations between Korea, the United States, and Japan as an opportunity for the Secretary of State and Defense to visit Korea and Japan.Said.

Secretary Blincoln and Secretary Austin have clarified their solidarity with the alliance, saying, “If we work together, we will be able to respond more strongly to China’s attacks and threats.” The two ministers “China uses coercive methods to carry out its claims,” ​​he said. “If China violates human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and violates Hong Kong’s autonomy and Taiwan’s democracy, we will take responsibility for it,” he warned. Analysts say that the US intends to ultimately reinforce China’s pressure initiatives by regaining bilateral relations between Korea and Japan and strengthening trilateral cooperation between Korea, the US, and Japan.

Reporter Park Hyun-joo [email protected]