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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reuters/Yonhap News)

After US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his trip to South Korea, he spoke on the phone with his South Korean counterpart.

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Oct. 5 that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had spoken on the phone with Pompeo that morning.

“Secretary Pompeo explained that his visit to South Korea, which had been scheduled for this week, had been delayed because of unavoidable circumstances in the US and asked for South Korea’s understanding,” MOFA said.

MOFA also reported that Kang had expressed her hopes for a speedy recovery for US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, who recently tested positive for the coronavirus. Kang also reportedly expressed her regret that Pompeo’s visit to South Korea had been delayed.

In addition, Kang asked Pompeo for the US’ continuing support for Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee’s candidacy to become director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO will soon be holding the second round of its selection process for the organization’s top position.

In a press release, MOFA said that the two diplomats’ phone call had taken place at Pompeo’s request. That was a notable inclusion, since such information is generally neither disclosed nor confirmed except under special circumstances.

The official reason for Pompeo’s delay of his visit to Korea is reportedly because of Trump testing positive for COVID-19. The “unavoidable circumstances” mentioned by Pompeo in his phone call appear to refer to the same thing.

Even so, Pompeo is still planning to attend a meeting in Tokyo on Oct. 6 with foreign ministers from Japan, Australia, and India, which are members of the Quad (quadrilateral security dialogue) alongside the US. That has prompted some speculation that the cancellation of Pompeo’s visit to Korea represents an American reaction to Kang’s recent comments about the Quad.

When asked whether Korea intends to join an organization tentatively called the Quad Plus during a video seminar organized by the Asia Society on Sept. 25, Kang said, “We don’t think anything that automatically shuts out [. . .] the interests of others is a good idea.”

While noting that South Korea has “never been invited” to join the Quad, Kang said South Korea is “ready to have discussion” about specific issues. “If that’s a structured alliance, we will certainly think very hard whether it serves our security interests,” she added.

The US has recently defined the Quad as “an informal grouping of like-minded partners formed to deepen cooperation on sub-regional issues and shape a more closely aligned Indo-Pacific region” (US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell, Oct. 2), but the grouping is said to be part of the US’ recent strategy of encircling China.

Stilwell added in the same briefing that “the Quad seeks to establish, promote, and secure Indo-Pacific principles, especially as PRC tactics, aggression, and coercion increase in the region,” referring to the People’s Republic of China.

Pompeo’s decision to attend the meeting of Quad foreign ministers as planned appears to show how hard the Trump administration is working to build an anti-Chinese front. The multilateral nature of the meeting may also have made it harder to cancel.

Another interpretation is that there may not be any matters requiring urgent and immediate discussion in South Korea-US relations or in North Korea-US relations. MOFA appears to have decided to disclose that it was Pompeo who requested the phone call in light of the various interpretations that have been made about Pompeo’s cancellation of planned visits to Korea and Mongolia.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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