Blue House National Security Office Chief: "Declaration of the End of War and Denuclearization Do Not Act Separately" (Comprehensive)

Meeting with US Secretary of State Pompeo... "Inter-Korean Relations to Proceed in Consultation with US and Neighboring Countries"
State Department Responds "No Comment" to Request for Remarks

National Security Office Director Suh Hoon and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are taking a commemorative photo before their meeting at the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC on the afternoon of the 15th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Seo Hoon, Director of the National Security Office at the Blue House, currently visiting the U.S., said after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, "It is common sense to think that the declaration of the end of the war cannot be separated from the process of North Korea's denuclearization." The State Department briefly responded to Asia Economy's request for comment on the meeting by saying, "No comment."

On the afternoon of the 15th (local time), after meeting with Secretary Pompeo at the State Department building in Washington DC, Seo told reporters, in response to a question about whether they discussed the scope of the declaration of the end of the war during the National Assembly's audit, specifically whether it was premised on denuclearization, that he made the above remarks.

Seo said, "The declaration of the end of the war has always been an issue on the negotiation table, and there can be no differing views between South Korea and the U.S.," adding, "The issue is only about the sequence in the denuclearization process or the degree of linkage with denuclearization." He further added, "It is better not to over-interpret."

However, Seo explained that during this visit to the U.S., "We did not have particularly deep discussions about the declaration of the end of the war."

He evaluated his visit by saying, "There was an achievement in mutually empathizing and confirming whether the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance is being well managed."

Seo also hinted that they discussed the parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Workers' Party, which featured a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). He said, "There was a recent parade in North Korea, wasn't there? We shared assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and had in-depth analysis and discussions on managing the situation stably."

When asked whether the visit was intended to create momentum for a declaration of the end of the war or inter-Korean dialogue ahead of the U.S. presidential election on November 3, he replied, "It is hard to say that the U.S. election was particularly kept in mind."

Seo stated, "Inter-Korean relations cannot be seen simply as relations between the two Koreas; they are matters to be discussed and coordinated with the U.S. and neighboring countries," emphasizing, "We have proceeded that way so far," drawing a line against various speculations. He also expressed the position that our government will not seek inter-Korean relations independently.

Regarding the issue of U.S. defense cost-sharing that arose at the Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting held the previous day, he said, "It is desirable to reach a reasonable and mutually acceptable agreement as soon as possible."