Leaders of S. Korea and US agree to build a more comprehensive alliance

Posted on : 2013-05-08 15:45 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
At Washington summit, presidents Park and Obama discuss cooperation on regional and global security
 May 7. (by Kang Chang-kwang
May 7. (by Kang Chang-kwang

By Seok Jin-hwan, Blue House correspondent in Washington and Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

On the morning of May 7 (EST), South Korean President Park Geun-hye held her first summit as South Korean president with US President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington DC. At the summit, the two leaders released a Joint Declaration commemorating the 60th anniversary of the US-Korea alliance that contains a vision for the future of bilateral relations. Park and Obama also reaffirmed that they would respond firmly to any North Korean provocations while leaving open the door for dialogue.

The key message of the joint declaration adopted by the two presidents during the meeting is that both countries will move toward a comprehensive alliance that will forge a relationship of sharing and consideration built on mutual trust. The statement expressed a commitment to upgrade the existing military and security alliance into an economic alliance in which the two countries work together to give back to the international community.

It appears that the bond for maintaining the alliance of sharing and consideration will involve building trust as the two countries work together to provide assistance and aid to developing countries. Strengthening the global partnership that involves interest in climate change, environmental cooperation, and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is also expected to be a major channel for accomplishing this.

“The two leaders discussed measures for increasing regional cooperation in Northeast Asia, including Park’s plan for peace and cooperation,” said Blue House spokesperson Yoon Chang-jung. “They also deliberated on ways to strengthen the partnership between South Korea and the US on major global issues including climate change, development assistance, and problems in the Middle East.”

On May 6 (EST), the White House also expressed its expectations for the future, describing the US-ROK alliance, which is now in its 60th year, as a “global alliance.”

“The US-Korea alliance is now a global partnership that transcends cooperation on the Korean peninsula,” said Daniel Russel, White House senior director for Asian affairs, in a conference call with reporters. Russel illustrated this by mentioning the fact that the two countries are working together in political and security areas, including Afghanistan, Syria, and climate change.

It appears that the US hopes to use this alliance of sharing and consideration to further strengthen the KORUS Free Trade Agreement while also expanding South Korean contributions to crises around the world and increasing the “strategic flexibility” of US forces stationed in South Korea.

South Korea can also draw upon the assistance of the US to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue that it is facing. Seoul can expect this to have the effect of ironing out wrinkles in the strategic relationship between the two countries.

While no detailed announcement was made during the summit press briefing, reports say that, in addition to talking about the comprehensive alliance, Park and Obama also deliberated on issues including the transfer of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea and the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). The SMA, which concerns the responsibility for defense costs associated with US forces stationed in Korea, will take effect starting in 2014. Since high-level meetings about the Special Measures Agreement are scheduled to take place as early as this month, some guidelines were probably established during the meeting.

The two leaders also discussed participating in the plan for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia, which Park has been promoting, and the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP), which the US is pushing for.

However, because these plans are characterized by multilateral collaboration in which countries such as China and Japan would take part, Park and Obama could have wrapped up that part of the discussions by agreeing to pursue them again at a later time.

 

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