Ban Ki-moon "Jung Se-hyun's remark 'US Forces Korea will not leave' is shocking... Once it's over, it's over"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the statement by Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the National Unification Advisory Council, who said, "Even if the Korea-US working group is disbanded, the US Forces Korea cannot be withdrawn," calling it "an utterly irresponsible remark that shocked me."

Ban attended the founding seminar of the Global Diplomacy and Security Forum held at the National Assembly on the 8th and said, "After experiencing the horrific Korean War, how can our generation have such complacent thoughts?"

Earlier, Senior Vice Chairman Jeong appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and stated, "Even without the Korea-US working group, the Korea-US alliance will never be broken," adding, "The US Forces Korea cannot be withdrawn."

In response, Ban said, "I was truly shocked to hear a high-ranking official irresponsibly say things like 'No matter how much we tell the US Forces Korea to leave, they will not leave, absolutely not,'" and criticized, "Our lives are at stake, so there must never be such remarks again. Once it's over, it's over."

Regarding recent voices from the ruling party calling for the suspension of Korea-US military exercises, Ban said, "It is truly deplorable that some responsible politicians are mentioning the suspension of Korea-US military exercises and the reduction of US Forces Korea," pointing out, "This is precisely an act that damages the Korea-US alliance and endangers security."

Ban emphasized, "We should not take the Korea-US alliance lightly," and added, "Of course, Trump viewed the alliance as a commercial transaction and somewhat belittled it, but if the US administration changes, things will definitely be different," he noted. He further stated, "Even within the ruling party of the Korean government, there should be restraint from making undesirable remarks about the Korea-US alliance," adding, "It is easy to break, but maintaining and rebuilding it is absolutely impossible."

He also mentioned the possibility of changes in US North Korea policy depending on the US presidential election results. He said, "Trump's North Korea policy has lost a lot of trust, and North Korea probably does not trust it either. In the past, during Obama's administration, although it was not satisfactory, the so-called 'strategic patience' was maintained, but if Biden becomes president, the stance might change," he said.

Ban stated, "The policies of Kim Dae-jung and Moon Jae-in, praised worldwide, both failed to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions, and the fundamental reason is that North Korea has not abandoned its ambition to 'never give up nuclear weapons,'" adding, "Regarding the 'complete denuclearization' in the Panmunjom Declaration, the specific details and meanings must be thoroughly confirmed."

Regarding talks within the ruling party about lifting sanctions on North Korea, he criticized, "Local government heads are even stepping forward, and there are chaotic and inconsistent moves urging us to dismantle ourselves. Trying to do what we cannot is shortsighted and aimed only at short-term political gains," and pointed out, "The prerequisite for overcoming diplomatic and security challenges must be bipartisan, but South Korea is the only country with a severe security crisis that does not practice bipartisan diplomacy."