hankyoreh

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha had her first telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson since taking office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Kang and Tillerson reportedly agreed to work toward a “peaceful resolution” of the North Korean nuclear issue and discussed South Korean “democratic procedures” in connection with the deployment of the THAAD system with US Forces Korea.

During the conversation on the evening of June 22, Tillerson described the US’s current approach on the North Korean nuclear issue as a “campaign of peaceful pressure,” ministry sources reported.

“We would like a peaceful resolution,” he was quoted as saying.

Tillerson was also quoted as saying the “future of North Korea depends on its denuclearization.”

In response, Kang suggested “discussing the right conditions and measures” for resolving the North Korean leaders, and the two ministers agreed to continue holding periodic discussions.

During the roughly 25-minute conversation, Kang noted the “domestic calls for democratic legitimacy and procedural transparency” in the THAAD deployment.

“Our aim is not to stop THAAD, but to hold the democratic procedures and internal procedures to guarantee its legitimacy,” a ministry official quoted her as saying.

In response, Tillerson said the US respected South Korea’s democratic procedures.

Tillerson’s comment echoed those made by White House National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster to Korean Peninsula Forum chairperson Hong Seok-hyun while Hong was visiting the US as a special envoy for President Moon Jae-in. McMaster reportedly said at the time that the US “respects South Korea’s position and situation.”

Kang also expressed condolences for the death of Otto Warmbier, an American student who died after returning home in a coma from detention in North Korea, and said the two sides should work for a successful bilateral summit on June 28-29.

Describing the two leaders’ meeting as “the foundation for the next five years of policy coordination,” Kang suggested it would be “a good idea to meet before the summit for the ‘finishing touches.’”

Tillerson agreed that this was a good idea and suggested “fine-tuning the schedule,” a ministry official reported.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]