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Apr. 25. (Blue House photo pool)

By Seok Jin-hwan, Blue House correspondent

President Park Geun-hye and US President Barack Obama agreed to reconsider the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea during a summit at the Blue House on the afternoon of Apr. 25.

The two presidents said in a “Joint Fact Sheet” released after the summit affirms that “due to the evolving security environment in the region, including the enduring North Korean nuclear and missile threat, the current timeline for the transition of wartime operational control to a Republic of Korea-led defense in 2015 can be reconsidered.”

The two leaders went on to state that they had “urged their teams to continue to work hard to determine appropriate timing and conditions” for the transfer.

Park and Obama also announced that they had discussed stronger cooperation on the T-X program for a new US Air Force jet trainer, which had been scheduled as a way of strengthening the two countries’ alliance capabilities.

The only word on a General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan, which had been the subject of widespread attention, was an affirmation of its “necessity.”

“In order to respond to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, the United States and Republic of Korea recognize the importance of trilateral information sharing among the United States, Republic of Korea, and Japan in a way that contributes to a comprehensive and cooperative response against such threats,” the leaders said in the Joint Fact Sheet.

On the issue of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, Park and Obama emphasized a strong and principled response, stating the two countries “remain fully committed to continuing our close cooperation on the full range of issues related to North Korea toward our common goal, which is shared by the international community, of the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea in a peaceful manner.”

“Our two countries reaffirm the UN Security Council’s unanimous condemnation of the DPRK’s recent ballistic missile launches as clear violations of UN Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087, and 2094,” they added. “We strongly urge the DPRK to refrain from additional provocations in further violation of its international obligations and commitments.”

Regarding China, Obama said, "China is beginning to realize that North Korea is not just a nuisance. This is a significant problem to their own security. We've encouraged them to exert greater influence over North Korea."

After arriving in South Korea around midday on Apr. 25, Obama delivered a message of condolences for the victims of last week’s Sewol ferry sinking prior to the summit. As a gesture of consolation, he presented Park with the US flag that had been raised at the White House at the time of the tragedy and brought a magnolia sapling from the White House to be planted at Danwon High School in Ansan, where many of the victims of the sinking were students.

“It reflects our deep condolences, our solidarity with you at this difficult time,” Obama said when presenting the flag.

While offering the sapling, Obama described it as a token of “deep sympathy that the American people have for the families and loved ones of those who perished in this tragedy.”

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