Deputy Foreign Minister Emphasizes ROK-US Alliance in Strategic Dialogue... Discusses ROK-US Defense Cost-Sharing Negotiations and G7 Summit Expansion
Vegan: "Expect Close Cooperation to Advance ROK-US Alliance and Korean Peninsula Peace"
New Southern Policy and Indo-Pacific Strategy Cooperation Also on the Dialogue Table
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, are having a conversation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the morning of the 8th. Photo by Joint Press Corps
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, who arrived on the 7th and completed quarantine procedures, began his official visit to Korea on the 8th by paying a courtesy call to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. Deputy Secretary Biegun devoted much of his time that day to discussing key issues between Korea and the U.S., including strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance. Given the intense pre-visit standoff between North Korea and the U.S., it appears that the much-anticipated North Korea-U.S. contact at Panmunjom is unlikely.
At around 9:20 a.m. that day, Deputy Secretary Biegun paid a courtesy call to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and held a series of meetings with First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Se-young and Lee Do-hoon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs. This was his first visit to Korea in seven months since December last year and his first visit as Deputy Secretary. Allison Hooker, Senior Director for Asia at the White House National Security Council (NSC), who has been closely involved in North Korea negotiations, reportedly did not accompany this delegation.
During the meeting with Minister Kang, Deputy Secretary Biegun said, “The journey was complicated due to COVID-19, but thank you for cooperating on the details so that I could arrive here safely.” Minister Kang responded, “It has been a long time since we last met. You have come at a very important time.”
Deputy Secretary Biegun devoted much time to the strategic dialogue with Vice Foreign Minister Cho Se-young, which started 20 minutes later than scheduled. Although he has held bilateral and multilateral video conferences since his promotion to Deputy Secretary, this was his first face-to-face consultation with Vice Minister Cho. Korea and the U.S. face numerous issues to address, including cooperation on COVID-19, the expansion of the Group of Seven (G7) proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, participation in the Economic Prosperity Network (EPN), an anti-China economic bloc, and negotiations on the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing, which has been in a gap for seven months.
Vice Minister Cho stated at a press conference following the strategic dialogue that they exchanged views on the Korea-U.S. alliance, COVID-19 response cooperation, the Korean Peninsula issue, and global issues. He said, “Deputy Secretary Biegun and I evaluated that the Korea-U.S. alliance has continuously evolved and developed over the past 70 years since the Korean War, serving as a core axis for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.” He added, “We also had in-depth discussions on future development plans for the Korea-U.S. alliance, which is expanding into a global partnership in various fields.”
Deputy Secretary Biegun also said, “We discussed the Korea-U.S. alliance and peace on the Korean Peninsula,” adding, “We look forward to continuously developing close cooperation with Korea.”
They also discussed defense cost-sharing negotiations, invitations to the G7 summit, and the expanded summit. Cooperation between Korea’s New Southern Policy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, including Korea-Japan relations, was also on the table.
Vice Minister Cho explained, “Regarding the pending defense cost-sharing agreement, both sides agreed to continue efforts to reach a mutually acceptable agreement as soon as possible.” He added, “Both sides also agreed to continue close consultations on the invitation to the G7 summit and the expanded summit, which were discussed during the Korea-U.S. leaders’ phone call on June 1.”
He continued, “We exchanged views on regional situations, including the Korean Peninsula situation, U.S.-China relations, and Korea-Japan relations. We also agreed to continue seeking harmonious cooperation between Korea’s New Southern Policy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy based on the principles of openness, transparency, and inclusiveness in regional cooperation.”
Deputy Secretary Biegun also held consultations with Lee Do-hoon, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, in his capacity as Special Representative for North Korea, but diplomatic circles predict a low possibility of contact with North Korea. Since the deadlocked North Korea-U.S. dialogue following the ‘no deal’ Hanoi summit and the breakdown of working-level talks in Stockholm, the stalemate has accelerated deterioration in inter-Korean relations, making Biegun’s visit more closely watched than ever both domestically and internationally. Voices calling for improvements in the Korea-U.S. working group, mainly from the ruling party, continue, and with the possibility of a third North Korea-U.S. summit before the U.S. presidential election in November, there is considerable expectation that this visit could be a turning point in the Korean Peninsula situation.
However, just before Biegun’s visit, North Korea and the U.S. engaged in intense off-stage standoffs, lowering expectations. North Korea, through First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Director General for U.S. Affairs Kwon Jong-gun, made clear that they would not sit down with the U.S. unless the U.S. changes its calculations. The U.S. also clarified that the purpose of Biegun’s visit was to strengthen coordination on FFVD (Final, Fully Verified Denuclearization). While leaving the door open for dialogue, both sides reiterated that there is no change in their denuclearization stance.
After completing official schedules with senior Foreign Ministry officials, Deputy Secretary Biegun is expected to hold introductory meetings with President Moon Jae-in as well as the recently reshuffled Blue House diplomatic and security team. President Moon has appointed Seo Hun as the new National Security Office chief, Park Jie-won as the National Intelligence Service director, and Lee In-young as the nominee for Minister of Unification.
Cho Se-young, First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Stephen Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, are holding a press conference after concluding the 8th Korea-U.S. Deputy Foreign Ministers Strategic Meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the morning of the 8th. Photo by Joint Press Corps
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