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South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds a luncheon with key South Korea-US military commanders at the Blue House on May 21. (Blue House photo pool)
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S. Korean president emphasizes role of coordinated restraint in dialogue with N. Korea
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a meeting with South Korean and US military commanders on May 21 that the momentum for dialogue with Pyongyang was sustained thanks to coordinated restraint by Seoul and Washington following North Korea’s short-range missile launches earlier this month. “The robustness of the South Korea-US alliance and the close coordination between the two sides truly shined in response to North Korea’s recent projectile launches, including its short-range missiles,” Moon said in a luncheon meeting at the Blue House that day with 12 key military commanders from both sides, including South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Forces Korea Commander Robert Abrams. “By presenting a unanimous, calm, and restrained voice in our close coordination and discussions, we were able to sustain momentum for dialogue as long as North Korea does not engage in any new provocations,” he said. At the time of North Korea’s two short-range missile test launches on May 4 and 9, South Korean and US military authorities consistently showed a low-key response while cooperating from the resource analysis stages. Moon also underscored the importance of the South Korea-US alliance in the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization and peace process. “With our robust South Korea-US alliance and our ironclad allied defense posture, we have been able to boldly walk the path of the peace process to achieve complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” he said, citing results including the test withdrawal of non-permanent guard posts, joint exhumation of remains in the DMZ, and demilitarization of the JSA. “The personal trust between US President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and the changed situation on the Korean Peninsula have played a major part in the momentum for dialogue being sustained even after the North Korea-US summit in Hanoi ended without an agreement,” he continued. He also alluded to a possible need for USFK to remain stationed even after a peace regime is established. “Even if peace is established on the Korean Peninsula, the role of the South Korea-US alliance for the peace and stability of Northeast Asia as a whole will remain increasingly important,” he said. By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
