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The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier navigates the East Sea with vessels from the US and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force on April 13, 2022. (provided by the US 7th Fleet)

As South Korea and the US move to upgrade their relationship to a “comprehensive strategic alliance” that will include global cooperation on cutting-edge technology in their summit on Saturday, the US has reportedly made several requests for the South Korean government to join military exercises with the US and Japan and to provide weapons to Ukraine.

South Korea’s presidential office denied the report, saying it had not discussed either matter with the US.

“We’re working with the US on shifting from a ‘values alliance’ based on the values of liberal democracy and human rights to a ‘technological alliance,’” an official from the presidential office told reporters on Thursday.

Seoul has already said it will be joining the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Even though the IPEF is a technology-oriented alliance for the Asia-Pacific region that’s largely designed to counter China, the government has confirmed its intention of being a “founding member,” which leaves little doubt that the government means to anchor its foreign policy on the US.

South Korea and the US are also discussing joint investment in the overseas nuclear reactor market and technological cooperation on small modular reactors, which represent the next generation of nuclear reactors.

“Joint exports of nuclear reactors are likely to be included in the Korea-US summit’s joint statement,” an official at the presidential office said.

Small modular reactors are a sector in which China and Russia have a strong presence.

Under these circumstances, the Americans asked the South Korean government to join military exercises with the US and Japan and to provide military aid to Ukraine several times during the preliminary deliberations about the summit, according to a source in the South Korean government.

“We asked the US to add ways to strengthen its extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear weapons to the summit agenda. The US also had things it wanted from us,” the government source said.

“When an American aircraft carrier came to the East Sea last month, Japan was the only country that joined the American naval exercise. The Americans said they wished Korea had joined the exercise and proposed holding trilateral military exercises with Japan in the future,” the source said.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier, held a joint exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the waters of the East Sea on April 12.

The US repeatedly suggested holding trilateral exercises in waters off the Korean Peninsula during high-level deliberations with Korea and Japan in February and March, but the Moon administration said no, citing security instability in Northeast Asia and fierce opposition from the public.

The Moon administration also refused to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine given “the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.” But with the Yoon administration enthusiastic about strengthening the Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan, the US has reiterated its requests on those sensitive issues.

The Yoon’s presidential office said there had been no advance discussion of those two issues.

“Nothing of the sort was said in the working-level deliberations. The joint statement that we’re preparing with the US doesn’t make any mention of providing weapons to Ukraine or holding military exercises with the US and Japan,” a senior official in the presidential office said.

US President Joe Biden is slated to touch down in Korea on Friday for a three-day stay. He will accompany Yoon to a Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on the first day of his visit and attend the summit and a welcome dinner on the second day. On Sunday, he will visit the Osan Air Base before heading to Japan.

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter; Seo Young-ji, staff reporter; Bae Ji-hyun, staff reporter

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