And in response top diplomats of Seoul and Washington denounced Pyongyang’s latest display of defiance at a press conference here following bilateral talks.
Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji has more.
With just around two weeks left before his term ends, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made his final visit to South Korea.
Sitting down for talks with the South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, the two sides reaffirmed that the alliance remains strong, despite the political uncertainty.
“Today, we reaffirmed that there are no gaps in the alliance between South Korea and the United States. I have made it clear that under the leadership of Acting President Choi Sang-mok, we will continue to implement our foreign policy, based on stable national governance and a strong ROK-U.S. alliance.”
When asked about whether the government is communicating with Trump’s team, the Foreign Minister said there will be no changes to the alliance, regardless of who takes office in either the U.S. or South Korea.
He said even when the new Trump administration comes into power, policies will be closely coordinated based on shared values.
Blinken also stressed that the alliance remains more essential than ever, and addressed threats from North Korea.
He said the two countries condemn the North’s latest missile launch, saying this is yet another violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and added that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan are exchanging real-time data about the regime’s ballistic missile launches.
He also expressed concern about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, calling it a “two-way street.”
“The DPRK is already receiving Russian military equipment and training. Now we have reason to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology of Pyongyang. And that Putin may be close to reversing a decades-long policy by Russia and accepting DPRK’s nuclear weapons program.”
Earlier in the day, Blinken also met with the country’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok.
In a closed-door meeting, the top American diplomat said he has “complete confidence” in Choi’s leadership, and that Washington’s commitment toward defending South Korea remains strong.
Blinken is set to travel to Tokyo, after wrapping up his trip to Seoul.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=279631
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