If the US Pulls the USFK Withdrawal Card, Pressure Them to Withdraw Through Candlelight Protests
Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, is giving a greeting speech at the rally urging the resumption of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, hosted by the Kaesong Industrial Complex Support Foundation, held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the National Unification Advisory Council, called for the dismantling of the Korea-US Working Group, which was created to control the rapid progress of inter-Korean relations, urging Lee In-young, the nominee for Minister of Unification, to courageously take action after his inauguration.
In an interview on the 16th with Yonhap News Agency's Unification Media Research Institute YouTube channel 'Yeontong TV,' Senior Vice Chairman Jeong harshly criticized the Korea-US Working Group, saying, "From the Ministry of Unification's standpoint, we couldn't do anything because of the Korea-US Working Group," and added, "It was created to slow down progress because the US feared losing its grip on the Northeast Asia region as the South Korean government seemed likely to rapidly advance inter-Korean relations, including military issues."
The Korea-US Working Group was originally established in November 2018 as a consultative body between the South Korean and US governments to coordinate issues related to inter-Korean relations, inter-Korean cooperation, and related North Korea sanctions. However, it drifted without achieving any significant results.
He also pointed out that the South Korean government should not have accepted the Korea-US Working Group from the beginning. He strongly stated that the Korea-US Working Group should be disbanded.
Senior Vice Chairman Jeong said, "Accepting the Korea-US Working Group from the start was a mistake," and argued, "The Working Group fundamentally hindered inter-Korean relations at every turn, such as when the inter-Korean joint liaison office was blown up."
Regarding the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the US, which have been in a seven-month stalemate, he emphasized that it is an issue the South Korean government must lead and resolve independently, without linking it to the withdrawal of US Forces Korea.
Senior Vice Chairman Jeong stated, "US Forces Korea serve as a forward base to ensure the Pacific remains America's sea and to check China," and stressed, "If South Korea refuses to increase defense cost-sharing and the US Forces Korea leave, then let them leave. When the candlelight revolution first erupted and people shouted 'US, get out,' the US would have begged to stay."
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