South Korean President Yoon Meets U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, Discusses North Korean Threat

Amid North Korea’s resumption of military provocations by launching several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea after about a month, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and discussed the North Korean nuclear threat.

According to the Presidential Office on the 19th, Yoon expressed his greeting to Blinken, who visited Korea on the 17th, and said, “The active high-level exchanges, including the recent mutual visits of the Korean and U.S. foreign ministers, well demonstrate the solidity of the Korea-U.S. alliance that has evolved into a global comprehensive strategic alliance.”

He further emphasized, “The South Korea-U.S. alliance is stronger as we share the belief in liberal democracy under a value alliance.”

In the Democracy Summit, which has been held for three days since the previous day (18th), he urged, “Let’s cooperate closely between South Korea and the U.S. to pass on a better democracy to future generations in line with the theme of this summit, Democracy for Future Generations.”

In response, Blinken said, “The South Korea-U.S. relationship is stronger than ever,” and promised, “We will actively implement the achievements made through Yoon’s state visit to the U.S. last year and the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit at Camp David, throughout this year.”

He urged, “Let’s continue our close coordination and communication as we strengthen extended deterrence. And the U.S. will always be with South Korea for a firm response to North Korea’s provocations and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

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He also conveyed, “President Joe Biden is particularly grateful for South Korea’s hosting of this meeting,” and said, “I am confident that the South Korea-U.S. as a global alliance, based on universal values, will do more for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world.”

Meanwhile, before the meeting between Yoon and Blinken, North Korean authorities launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the 18th, 33 days after the launch of a new ground-to-ship cruise missile on the 14th of last month.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea announced that they detected several flying objects suspected to be short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area into the East Sea at around 7:44 a.m.

North Korea’s military provocation became the most significant discussion point in the consecutive meetings of Blinken, who visited Korea to attend the ministerial meeting.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Cho Tae Il and Blinken reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea at their meeting, pledging to cooperate closely for this purpose.

They also agreed to continue cooperation to cut off illegal funding lines used for nuclear and missile development, including North Korea’s illegal cyber activities, overseas worker dispatch, and ship-to-ship transfer of refined oil.

Especially both ministers strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of several flying objects suspected to be short-range ballistic missiles just before the Democracy Summit, which the Korean government is hosting to contribute to the world’s freedom, peace, and prosperity through the promotion of democracy. And they raised their voices that North Korea’s continuous provocations will only strengthen the cooperation against North Korea by Korea, the U.S., Japan, and the international community.