E-paper

‘Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace in Korea’

Seoul’s FM seeks effective solutions on NK, US IRA issues in meeting with Blinken

By Kang Seung-woo ksw@koreatimes.co.kr

South Korea is seeking stronger assurances from the United States that it will provide “effective” extended deterrence, which Seoul’s foreign minister believes is the “best practical option” for deterring North Korea’s evolving threats and ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“It is important to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence in defending South Korea against North Korea’s escalating nuclear threats to ease public concerns over the North’s hostility,” Foreign Minister Park Jin said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday, one day ahead of his departure for the U.S., where he plans to hold a meeting with U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, Friday (local time).

“To this end, it is necessary to establish a mechanism for a more tangible U.S. extended nuclear deterrence and I intend to discuss the issue with State Secretary Blinken.”

Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use a full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence, also known as the nuclear umbrella, to South Korea since 1991. That is the year when the U.S. removed all of its nuclear assets from the Korean Peninsula.

However, the modernization of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs has prompted many South Koreans to question Washington’s extended deterrence commitments to Seoul. Such mounting skepticism has also raised calls for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons.

Park, also a four-term lawmaker, said it has been a basic premise that the U.S. offers the nuclear umbrella as a means of extended deterrence and it is now necessary to discuss with the U.S. how to ensure the activation of that extended deterrence.

“We need to discuss with the U.S. the execution of extended deterrence in the event of an emergency in more detail,” he said.

“In that respect, it is an urgent task for South Korea and the U.S. to develop a mechanism on how the U.S. extended deterrence will be implemented in close coordination with us.”

His remarks came amid increasing public opinion in favor of arming South Korea with its own nuclear weapons to counter growing security threats from North Korea.

A survey by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies showed 60.7 percent of South Koreans believing their country is somewhat in need of developing its own nuclear weapons, while 15.9 percent said it is very much in need.

“I think that the survey result reflects the public’s concerns over North Korea’s growing threats. However, South Korea is a bona fide member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and observing it is our duty,” Park said.

“In addition, given that we have been seeking the denuclearization of North Korea, the best practical option to deter North Korea’s threat and ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula is to seek enhanced U.S. nuclear umbrella assurances against North Korea.” North Korea is believed to have fully prepared for a seventh nuclear test, raising speculation that denuclearizing the North is an unfeasible scenario.

“I think it is not likely for North Korea to renounce its nuclear weapons voluntarily, so it is important to create an environment that will compel the North to give up its nuclear ambitions,” Park said, adding that the right environment would deter the North’s nuclear threats, dissuade its nuclear development and seek dialogue and diplomacy with the North.

“In this regard, we need to strengthen our alliance with the U.S. and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, while delivering a firm and unified message from the international community.”

In a related move, the 66-yearold foreign minister held a separate meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and ambassadors of U.N. Security Council member nations in New York, Wednesday (local time).

“We need to enhance diplomacy with the U.N. as part of efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and other security matters relating to the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific,” Park said.

During his meeting with Blinken, Park also plans to discuss summit diplomacy between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden and other pending issues, such as the U.S. extended deterrence, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and supply chain disruptions. Yoon and Biden held a summit last May, only 10 days after the South Korean president took office.

Some clauses in the IRA exclude electric vehicles built outside North America from tax credits, with South Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia likely to fall victim to the act.

Plus, during his four-day visit to the U.S., the minister is scheduled to meet with top officials at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to discuss bilateral space cooperation.

“The South Korea-U.S. alliance has been expanding to the space area, so I will meet NASA officials to discuss mutual space cooperation,” Park said, adding that the two countries are in talks over holding a forum on space.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance and Foreign Minister Park Jin believes that the evolving bilateral alliance is now in top form. The ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.

“South Korea and the United States share a long history of cooperation based on the shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which helped the alliance endure for 70 years,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.

“Celebrating the 70th anniversary, I think the ROK-U.S. alliance should now go beyond solely focusing on bilateral relations between South Korea and the U.S., contributing to the freedom, peace and prosperity of the world on a regional and global level.”

He added: “I think that the alliance is now at a very important historical turning point.”

His assessment of the alliance being at an all-time high is evidenced by visits from U.S. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the third-highest-ranking U.S. official, all of which were made last year.

His remarks came as South Korea and the U.S. have been upgrading their security-focused alliance into a global comprehensive strategic alliance, under which the two countries will jointly respond to various challenges to uphold the rules-based order, as agreed between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Biden during their summit last May 21.

Park, 66, said the two countries are seeking to form an “alliance in action” regarding issues of North Korea’s nuclear threats and other security matters in the Indo-Pacific.

“Last year, we unveiled the details of the Indo-Pacific strategy, which focuses on fostering a rules-based international order ranging from stabilizing global supply chains to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the minister said.

“In the era of the digital economy, South Korea will be no longer a rule follower, but a rule maker in shaping a new order with like-minded countries.”

The Indo-Pacific strategy is regarded in some circles as signaling Seoul’s alignment with Washington amid an intensifying U.S.-China rivalry. But the foreign minister said China is a country that South Korea needs to strategically communicate on the North Korean nuclear issue.

“China is our biggest trading partner and it is the country that can play a constructive role in easing North Korean nuclear threats,” Park said.

“However, what is important is that China should develop a relationship with South Korea based on mutual respect. In addition, since a mature partnership between the two countries is based on China’s respect for international norms and rules, we are clearly communicating this message to China and I think China is well aware of it.”

As for Japan, Park said both Seoul and Tokyo share the idea that the continuation of the current stalemate serves neither countries’ interests.

Relations between the neighboring countries have plummeted to the worst level in years over the issue of Japanese companies compensating surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor. Since Yoon took office last May, the South Korean government has made efforts to get ties back on track.

“As South Korea is working hard to resolve the pending issue, the Japanese side also needs to show sincere responses,” Park said.

Below are excerpts from the interview with Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Q What is your assessment of the South Korea-U.S. alliance on the occasion of its 70th anniversary this year?

A The ROK-U.S. alliance is recognized as one of the most successful alliances in the history of the world. Looking back on the past 70 years, the two countries have maintained and strengthened the alliance — despite the turbulent international situation — to reach its best state ever, as evidenced by a series of visits by the top three U.S. officials — the president, the vice president and the house speaker — which was unprecedented compared with the past. Beyond protecting the security of the Korean Peninsula, the alliance is evolving in the face of political crises and challenges of the 21st century.

Marking the second year in office, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has set sights on substantially developing the global comprehensive strategic alliance and to this end, President Yoon’s successful visit to the U.S. would be of the utmost importance.

Q How will South Korea expand its economic alliance with the U.S. without provoking its biggest trading partner, China?

A Now is the era of economic security in which the boundary between security and economy has been blurred. In this situation, I think it is very natural for the ROKU.S. alliance, which is leading core and high-tech industries while sharing values, to evolve into an economic and technological alliance.

This evolution of the bilateral alliance and the development of Korea-China relations do not contradict each other, something that the U.S. agrees with as well.

South Korea and China reached a consensus on developing a healthier and more mature relationship on the occasion of the South Korea-China summit in Bali last November. Furthermore, in order to respond to the severe situation on the Korean Peninsula and the complex challenges of the 21st century, China’s active cooperation should be encouraged. I believe that a strong South KoreaU.S. alliance serves as a foundation for promoting China’s responsible role and for building healthy South Korea-China relations.

The South Korean government will expand and strengthen the level of cooperation in the South KoreaU.S. alliance. As for China, we will cooperate with the country on global issues such as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, climate change, public health and supply chains in accordance with the spirit of hwaibudong, seeking harmonious coexistence while respecting differences.

Q South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy seeks to achieve a positive relationship with China based on the principles of inclusion and reciprocity, while the U.S. and Japan describe China as the greatest strategic challenge. Amid the growing importance of trilateral cooperation, should South Korea speak with one voice?

A Since the launch of the Yoon administration in May 2022, three-way cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has been strengthened and it is not intended to exclude or contain any country. There is no difference in opinion on the need to continue communication and necessary cooperation with China. It is in this context that the United States immediately sent a message of welcome to our Indo-Pacific Strategy emphasizing three principles of cooperation — inclusiveness, trust and reciprocity. The same is true of the joint statement from the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit held in November last year, which stated that the leaders pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific, that is inclusive, resilient, and secure.

At the same time, the three countries maintain a clear position that they oppose any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally through economic coercion or force.

Q Some critics say the Biden administration is not interested in the North Korean nuclear issue. What is your assessment of the U.S.’ North Korean policy?

A I do not agree with such an assessment. Since President Yoon and President Biden agreed that the North Korea nuclear threat merits their utmost attention (in May 2022), the two countries have continued watertight cooperation on the issue, shown through actions, not words. In other words, we need to create an “Alliance in Action.”

Elements of the “Alliance in Action” include the announcement of the Audacious Initiative under close coordination between South Korea and the U.S., the announcement of autonomous sanctions on North Korea between South Korea and the U.S. (October and December 2022) and the launch of the South Korea-U.S. working group on North Korea’s cyber threats.

Since taking office, I have had face-to-face discussions with State Secretary Tony Blinken in Asia and Europe, and have been in close discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue through numerous phone calls.

This U.S. visit will also serve as a good opportunity to reaffirm the common goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea and to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Q What is the South Korean government’s plan for the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that excludes Korean carmakers from tax credits?

A The government is in negotiations with the U.S. side to reflect our requests on the proposed guidance on battery minerals and components that is expected to come in March. It is encouraging that the U.S. confirmed that leased vehicles are eligible for tax credits, allowing South Korean electric vehicles to receive benefits. I believe this was part of an effort to address the discriminatory elements in the IRA in consideration of its ally South Korea.

Front Page

en-kr

2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://ktimes.pressreader.com/article/281539410103803

The Korea Times Co.